Former Boston Red Sox reliever Hirokazu Sawamura hoping for MLB chance

Hirokazu Sawamura saw his time with the Boston Red Sox come to an abrupt end. That is not how he wants his major league career to conclude.

According to Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe, Sawamura is still planning on pitching in 2023. He is also preferring major league opportunities to a chance to go back to Japan and reprise his role as a valued setup man in Nippon Professional Baseball.

Former Boston Red Sox reliever Hirokazu Sawamura looking for another chance

Although he never pitched in higher leverage situations, Sawamura did have some success with the Red Sox. He posted a 3.39 ERA and a 1.437 WHiP over his 103.2 innings, striking out 101 batters with 59 walks. Sawamura was adept at keeping the ball on the ground, as 50.3% of all balls put in play were grounders.

His relatively shaky command and ground ball ways are likely to keep him in a middle relief role in the majors. However, he can serve a valuable function in that role, getting that needed double play ball or taking care of an inning or two in the middle of the game.

Considering the premium that has been placed on relief pitching over the past few offseasons, it seems to be a matter of time until some team makes him the type of offer he has been looking for. He may not end up in a higher leverage situation on another team either, but he could get that hoped for major league opportunity once again. If not, he would likely have the opportunity to head back to Japan and earn a solid payday, even if that is not his desired option.

Former Boston Red Sox reliever Hirokazu Sawamura is looking to continue his major league career. Some team may well give him a chance to do so.