November 26, 2008
Cornering the Market
It looks like Boston won the Junichi Tazawa sweepstakes.
Boston already has veteran Japanese pitchers Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima on its roster, and Tazawa reportedly has expressed a desire to be a teammate of Matsuzaka. The two attended different high schools in Yokohama.
Will this open the floodgates? If Tazawa becomes a successful major league pitcher, MLB teams will step up their wooing of Japanese amateur free agents. I hope some agreement is reached that prevents this from causing the downfall of the Japanese major leagues.
I hope some agreement is reached that prevents this from causing the downfall of the Japanese major leagues.
Why do you want to restrict the earnings potential of Japanese players, compared to players from the U.S., Latin America, and every other country in the world (except Cuba)?
I do not. I want MLB and the Japanese to compete on equal ground. To me, that means eliminating the draft and have all amateurs in the world be free agents.
Why should Puerto Rico be covered by a draft and the Dominican Republic isn't? Harmonize the rules or scrap the draft.
Well, technically, Puerto Rico is part of the US and the DR is not. I'm speculating, but that could have an effect.
I want MLB and the Japanese to compete on equal ground. To me, that means eliminating the draft and have all amateurs in the world be free agents.
Much like the equal ground that MLB and the Negro Leagues compete on today. Obviously integration of MLB was the right thing to do bit Japan will just become a minor league as there's no way they have the resources to compete.
