Red Sox Legend In Advisory Role For Club Supports Potential Signing Of Japanese Ace
The Boston Red Sox have been starved of an ace for years and cannot afford to wait any longer to acquire one.
With a new front-office regime on the way and a reset luxury tax, there is a good chance a notable signing is on the way. The upcoming free-agent market is loaded with quality hurlers, making this winter the perfect time to strike.
The class features both quality and quantity but the most enticing pitcher in the class appears to be Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The 25-year-old is set for a big payday. Red Sox legend Pedro Martinez gave his two cents on whether Boston should join the sweepstakes.
"We have a real capable scouting department that has seen him a lot," Martinez told Inside The Red Sox. "They would have better descriptions of him but whoever pitches to a clip of a 1.00 ERA in the Japanese league or here in the big leagues... or any league, probably, most likely will have some sort of good stuff or knows how to pitch."
Yamamoto went 16-6 with the aforementioned 1.21 ERA, 169-to-28 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 0.88 WHIP in 164 innings across 23 games for Orix Buffaloes of the Nippon Professional Baseball League.
Whether or not the Red Sox are able to acquire Yamamoto will come down to money. That said, they do have one advantage over the rest of the league.
The hard-throwing righty has a close relationship with Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida. The two played together for years for the Buffaloes and teamed up once more for the World Baseball Classic. The two keep in touch to this day, which bodes well for recruiting efforts.
Boston also has a strong history of Japanese pitchers excelling since John Henry's ownership group took over. If the Red Sox make a competitive offer, those factors could put them over the edge.
Martinez did not have one specific pitcher he was clamoring for this winter but Yamamoto's combination of power, offspeed and control is reminiscent of the Hall of Famer.
Here is the full interview with Pedro Martinez:
The Pedro Martínez Foundation will host its 7th Annual Gala on Friday, November 10th, at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel. The organization's projects aid children and families in Boston and in the Dominican Republic. Tickets are available here.
The Gala will be loaded with guests, including Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña, Texas Rangers pitcher Aroldis Chapman, Boston Red Sox legend Jason Varitek, Boston Red Sox pitcher Corey Kluber and more.
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