The Rays agreed to a minor league deal with right-hander Naoyuki Uwasawa earlier this month, as Uwasawa will test his fortunes in the majors after nine seasons with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball. The contract’s terms weren’t reported at the time, but MLB.com’s Adam Berry has the details on what is actually a split contract for the Japanese righty.
Uwasawa will earn $225K while in the minors and $2.5MM for his time on the big league roster. He also receives a $25K signing bonus up front, and up to $1MM in incentive bonuses based on innings pitched. The first bonus level of $100K would be unlocked if Uwasawa pitches 70 innings for the Rays, and he’d then receive an additional $100K for each additional ten innings pitched up to the 160-inning threshold.
Tampa Bay also owe the Fighters a posting fee, though the exact total of that fee has yet to be determined given the largely non-guaranteed nature of Uwasawa’s contract. For now, the Fighters will receive the equivalent of one-quarter of Uwasawa’s signing bonus, and then will eventually be paid 15% of whatever Uwasawa ends up making during the 2024 season.
Interestingly, Berry reports that Uwasawa opted to take this contract over guaranteed offers from other MLB teams. It isn’t know what other offers might have entailed in terms of money, length, or any number of other factors that might’ve led Uwasawa to prefer Tampa’s offer, but it might have simply come down to the fact that Uwasawa had particular interest in joining the Rays. As per his statement at the time of the signing, Uwasawa “decided to play for the Rays because the success and the rich history of pitching development really intrigued me,” so it could be that Uwasawa decided to somewhat bet on himself in taking a slightly lesser deal in order to land on one of his preferred options.
The relationship between the two sides could also technically end before Opening Day, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes that the contract contains an out clause at the end of Spring Training. However, in all likelihood the out clause is just a formality of minor league deals and Uwasawa will choose to stay in the Rays organization, even if he doesn’t necessarily break camp with the team. The Rays could use Uwasawa in the minors to get him acclimated to North American baseball and to see how his stuff plays in a proper game setting before giving him a look on the active roster.
Uwasawa posted a 3.19 ERA over 1118 1/3 career innings with the Fighters, delivering both quality results and durability — he has thrown at least 160 innings in four of the last five full NPB seasons. With only a 19.7% career strikeout rate and a fastball that averaged under 91mph last season, there are concerns from evaluators about whether or not Uwasawa will be able to fool MLB hitters as successfully as he did in Japan. But, as Berry and Uwasawa himself observed, the Rays have such a strong reputation for developing and/or getting pitchers on track that it seems entirely possible that Uwasawa could blossom under the team’s wings.
UncommonSense
There is not a lot of pork in this contract that the Tampa bay devil pays
Blue Baron
Huh?
UncommonSense
Sorry, Gene Shalit took over my body for a second
88 Brooklyn Dodgers
That’s enough, blue baron.
Blue Baron
No it isn’t!
88 Brooklyn Dodgers
You’ve given me attitude before and I was hoping to not read any comments from you today. Enough!
Blue Baron
I wasn’t even talking to you, and you have no authority over me as a basis to complain about “attitude.”
If you don’t like what I have to say, don’t read it and/or go pound sand.
I was hoping to not read any comments from you either, but you stuck your beak in anyway and didn’t give me a choice.
UncommonSense
He is not even talking to you, he is talking to me and I don’t care. Attitude away blue baron, attitude away!
Blue Baron
Thanks. People like WARandPiece are so annoying and deserve to be slapped.
OIC2021
Ahhh so…..
Slider_withcheese
Hope Uwasawa has all that written down.
DCartrow
Uwasawa puddy cat
OIC2021
Rhut rhyme roes wra reason rart??
Astros_fan_in_Aus
I predict he will be good for the Rays. I think they just got a bargain.
YankeesBleacherCreature
That may be one of the lowest signing bonuses ever for an unrestricted FA.
DarkSide830
Most MiLB deals are little or no bonus.
TrumboRedux
DarkSide, this isn’t a typical “minor league” deal though.
YankeesBleacherCreature
The article alluded to other guaranteed MLB deals he passed over on. He had leverage for a larger signing bonus while he could’ve still agreed to be a non-roster invitee.
phenomenalajs
If it’s a split contract, he’s probably on the 40-man, so it wouldn’t be an NRI situation.
TrumboRedux
YBC, Indeed. The audacity of the Ham Fighters to demand 25% of it!
smkelly1970
too rich for the Red Sox’s blood.
TrumboRedux
His old team gets “25%” of his “25K” signing bonus? LMAO Vultures..Let the guy keep his 25K and use it to get up and running in the US! Sheesh! If his signing bonus is merely 25K, it sounds like the guy could use it. Why shake him down like a mobster for a few grand?? Is that the “cream” they take off the top for the Yakuza or something??
DarkSide830
That’s how the posting system works.
TrumboRedux
Let him keep it as a sign of goodwill. What happen to “honor?!” Hah
Murphy NFLD
They dont take 25% of his bonus the rays pay an additional 25% of whatever he gets this year
TrumboRedux
“For now, the Fighters will receive the equivalent of one-quarter of Uwasawa’s signing bonus, and then will eventually be paid 15% of whatever Uwasawa ends up making during the 2024 season.”
Not a clever name
Yes not well writtten but the player doesn’t pay it, the team pays that in addition to what the pay the player. It’s meant to keep mob teams from stealing all the talent from foreign leagues and collapsing them.
TrumboRedux
Not, I appreciate you clearing that up!
GASoxFan
I’m probably the only person who wishes the signing bonus was based on some variation of 4 cans of spam, meaning, the fighters received a can of spam from the rays in compensation.
runningwithnailclippers
My magic crystal balls predicts that he will be a very average pitcher. Which, actually, is good to have as a 4 or 5 starter. Pretty good signing by the Rays.
skinsfandfw
Anytime the Rays make a move like this, it becomes a must watch. Their front office and talent evaluators are among the best in MLB.
I’d found an obscure article a month or so ago saying the Orioles were also talking to him. Curious to hear what other clubs were interested.
Tabata's Adopted Son
If I could pick one player to know everyone’s offer on from this offseason, I think it would be this guy. It’s just such a unique situation we haven’t really seen.
ray1
Like the ham fighters!
TrumboRedux
Swine Brawlers!!
runningwithnailclippers
Pig Punchers!
oldgfan
The other white meat wallopers.
TrumboRedux
Pig Punchers AKA Pork Pugilists!
Paleobros
Picnic Shoulder Skirmishers!
YankeesBleacherCreature
Bacon Fisticuffs
oldgfan
Boar Quarrelers
oldgfan
Javelina hasslers
TrumboRedux
Carnitas Conquerers
Not a clever name
Sausage Chokers, nah let’s just go with yours instead.
StPeteStingRays
Swine sloggers
GoGreen
Hog Heavyweights
nosake
The name of the company who sponsors this team is Nippon Ham. Understood? In Japan, companies, rather than individuals, sponsor teams. Like Yomiuri Giants. Yomiuri owns a newspaper. Hanshin Tigers: Hanshin owns a department store and railroad. Lotte Marines are sponsored by the Lotte Confectionery company. Seibu Lions are sponsored by Seibu Department stores, etc..
StPeteStingRays
Sir, yes sir.
nosake
Carry on.
StPeteStingRays
Hai
Murphy NFLD
Porky pounders
oldgfan
Hog Scufflers
DCartrow
Kosherless Clobberers
1979andcounting
Not jumping at the biggest dollar, but rather choosing a “Kyle Snyder” contract. This is how the small market Rays excel….coaching and development.
Old York
Nippon Ham is the name of the company that owns the team and Fighters is the nickname.
oldgfan
Yup.
We all know this, but choose to have fun with all the aggressive pig products.
Thanks for not playing !
Salzilla
I could bet money A LOT of people actually do not know that.
Tabata's Adopted Son
In general? Sure. In the mlbtr comment section? It comes up a lot.
Old York
@oldgfan
I wasn’t preventing you from playing. You’re the one who came and replied to my post.
Ham Fighter
Lies it’s
Nippon
Ham fighters!
Embrace it!
Old York
Nippon-Ham Fighters (1974–2003)
Nittaku Home Flyers (1973)
Toei Flyers (1954–1972)
Tokyu Flyers (1949–1953)
Kyuei Flyers (1948)
Tokyu Flyers (1947)
Senators (1946)
FunGhoul
The MLB hitters in Japan aren’t very good and that’s why they are there.
martras
Yeah. That Shohei Ohtani is terrible. Can’t hit for beans. Remind me again, which team won the World Baseball Classic again? Was it the USA?
nosake
FunGhoul is referring to US players on Japanese teams.
fljay73
Complaining about a low risk signing is like winning a decent smartphone. Keeping it or not the risk is low.
its_happening
Still can’t sleep on the Rays. This pickup along with Elfin, Civale, Pepiot, Littell, a returning Baz and young Taj Bradley they might hang in long enough for Springs to return.
The Wander Franco situation aside, injuries have derailed this team the last few seasons. Can’t write the Rays off. Never a smart move.
LordD99
Is anyone writing them off?
its_happening
Yes. Silly, right?
Salzilla
I’m still in awe of this signing by the Rays, but now the feeling goes both ways. I feel like this dude legit decided, “hmm, my stuff may not translate well to MLB, lmg to a team known for developing pitching, let them reteach me, and then test the market again. Smart, crafty move here.
GoGreen
Jon Daniels strikes again.
DanielDannyDano
These are the Rays. They have the knack. Uwasawa will be an unbridled success, and will end up starting game 2 of the playoffs.
LordD99
They’ve probably guaranteed him he’ll make the team.
ArianaGrandSlam
Basically, he chose the better school to educate himself, a very positive attitude I would say. As for Nippon Ham Fighers however, they’re not so happy with his decision since they’ll receive only $5,000 for his signing at least for now. Say you’re the coach and one of your good players is taken away over just a box of chocolate. Imagine that.
martras
It’s a great choice. He gets to find out whether or not his current stuff plays in MLB, and if it doesn’t, what he feels is the best chance to find a way to make adjustments to improve his game.
All on contract which makes him an easy fit into all 30 MLB team rotations.
MLBTR needs to hire editors
There is no need for a comma after “but” when it starts the sentence.
nosake
Out of work? Maybe ridicule is why.