On the cusp of spring training, the Red Sox appear on the cusp of adding a reliever who dominated down the stretch in Japan last year.
According to multiple reports in Japan, the Red Sox have reached agreement with righthander Hirokazu Sawamura. Sankei Sports reported that the deal is for two years and $2.4 million with additional incentives. The 32-year-old has a high-octane fastball — one evaluator saw him working at 94-97 m.p.h. — and a hard swing-and-miss splitter, along with a below-average slider.
Sawamura is coming off a mixed 2020 campaign. He struggled early with the Yomiuri Giants to the tune of a 6.