Newly acquired Japanese right-hander Naoyuki Uwasawa placed on 40-man roster, assigned to extended spring training
The Red Sox selected Japanese righty Naoyuki Uwasawa onto the 40-man roster. This move comes after Boston acquired the right-hander from the Rays for cash considerations on Wednesday.
The 30-year-old was optioned to extended spring training in Fort Myers.
Uwasawa signed a minor league deal with the Rays on Jan. 11. His deal is worth $2.5 million if he is on the big league roster. While in the minors, Uwasawa will earn $225,000, and he can earn up to $1 million in incentives based on the number of innings he pitches.
The Rays gave Uwasawa an opportunity to earn a spot in their rotation this spring, but he struggled in camp. The veteran allowed 14 earned runs and 15 hits in 9 ⅔ innings (13.03 ERA) while striking out nine batters and walking eight.
Uwasawa appears to be additional organizational depth for the starting rotation. The Red Sox are thin on minor league starters who are MLB-ready. On Wednesday, Brandon Walter, who was expected to lead the WooSox rotation, was placed on the injured list with a left rotator cuff strain.
The WooSox rotation to open the season is expected to feature Cooper Criswell, Richard Fitts, Grant Gambrell, Brian Van Belle, and Jason Alexander.
Uwasawa was a starter in Japan, playing nine seasons for the Nippon Ham Fighters. He was 70-62 with a 3.19 earned run average and pitched 170 innings over 24 games last season.
