Griffin: Blue Jays wise to stay out of Japanese deals

Operation Falldown: Gen. Richard Griffin and the “invasion from Japan.”

Clearly, in this day and age, an average of $1 million per season for a major-league relief pitcher – Tazawa is projected as a seventh- or eighth-inning guy – is not outrageous, but even as a North American pro novice his contract does not seem right. Reports in the Boston Globe are that without any time in the minor leagues, Tazawa will be eligible in three calendar years for arbitration under terms of his contract and for free agency after six, even if those seasons haven’t all been in the majors.

Jays fans should not be jealous of this signing. When Pat Gillick was GM of the Mariners, at a time when they already had three Japanese players on board, including all-star Ichiro Suzuki, he predicted that there were only eight or nine potential major-leaguers in Japan. Gillick’s a smart man.

Japan to MLB is not like former Soviet Union hockey was to the NHL when it came to untapped resources. They don’t throw as hard or hit baseballs as hard as on this side of the Pacific. The only thing Japanese players do better is come prepared and stay prepared.