Let the bidding begin. Boston probably has a leg up by having Dice K and Okajimi finding success. Both NY teams have the money and its going to be fun to see who overpays the mostAfter asking teams not to select him because he wants to pursue an MLB career, 22-year-old RHP Junichi Tazawa went undrafted in the Japanese amateur draft Thursday.
"I'm very relieved," Tazawa said. "I was very nervous right up until the end of the draft." Japanese players must play nine professional seasons before being eligible for free agency and bypassing that route means that Tazawa faces a three-year ban if he returns to Japan after playing elsewhere. However, with reports of a mid-90s fastball and several MLB teams already scouting him, Tazawa will likely have no trouble landing a long-term deal.