Hideki Okajima Requests Trade From Red Sox
by Jared Stegall on Jun 3, 2011 9:50 PM EDT
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After being designated for assignment a few weeks ago, it appears that the Red Sox have had enough of Hideki Okajima and Hideki Okajima enough of them.
Speaking to WEEI.com's Rob Bradford, Okajima has made it his "goal" to be traded from the Red Sox organization, as he looks to go to a team that can make better use of his services. Prior to last night's Pawtucket game against the Norfolk Tides, Oki had this to say:
"It was very disappointing," Okajima said through translator Jeff Cutler regarding being designated for assignment. "Having experienced that, right now I'm just working hard on myself to make sure I'm pitching well so I can put myself up for a trade at some point."
To begin this rather eventful offseason, Okajima was non-tendered by the Red Sox, which came as kind of a shock to him. However, when their biggest left-handed reliever target, Scott Downs went to the Angels on a 3-year deal, the Red Sox decided to bring back Okajima on a 1-year deal. He came into Spring Training as one of the favorites to win the LOOGY spot in the bullpen, however eventually lost the job to Dennys Reyes and started out the year in AAA.
Okajima has been up and down from the minor leagues twice this year. In seven appearances with the Red Sox, Okajima is 1-0 with a 4.32 ERA. Meanwhile in Pawtucket, he is 1-0 with a 1.04 ERA. Because of his minor league success this season, some contenders could be interested in the 35-year old lefty.
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Fuentes is unhappy in Oakland
Straight up, get it done, Theo.
by The Burning Scheyer Jersey on Jun 3, 2011 10:54 PM EDT reply actions
No thanks.
Fuentes = heartattack closer in Colorado and LA of Anaheim, and now a fringe reliever with high ERA with the A’s.
I would rather see Okie be given one more chance (maybe 10-15 appearances?) to prove himself that he deserves a spot in the bullpen with this team. If it doesn’t work out, trade him for a lower level prospect.
Fuentes is a very misunderstood beast
he is used against lefties and righties. He is used sometimes as a closer. This is as frustrating as Dan Wheeler being stuck out against a tough lefty. Fuentes is quite good at what he does- which is getting out lefties (except, thank god, Crawford tonight). Over the course of his career, he’s quite reliable at this, he’s just been horribly misused. If what the Sox need is a lefty specialist, he’s a good choice.
Now on the other hand, the reason they shouldn’t get him is that he’s guaranteed $5.7 million AFTER this year if traded. Which is absurd for a lefty specialist.
Considering he allowed us to get the W tonight...
… unless that was a subtle ploy to get us to trade for him, it doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.
I’d rather send Oki out there.
I think if he's traded to an NL team, possibly.
Like I said in the earlier article about our newest LOOGY solution… I don’t really blame Oki for his comments. Seems like he did about as well as we could have expected him to do at Pawtucket, and with the exception of his first appearance, with the Sox. And yet… we DFA’d him.
Once we non-tendered him, it made no sense to bring him back. Once we brought him back in a deal that put him on the 40 man, it made no sense to DFA him after a string of reasonble games out of the bullpen.
Trade him to an NL team for one of their failed prospects, and see if the change of scenery helps them both.
Exit Daisuke, Oki and Hill,
Enter Lackey, Jenks, Junichi and Wake … and Tommy. That sure was quick. Whatever happened to Reyes?
Burrito was in extended spring training
"Remember, it's not over until the fat lady drops one."
Also, Salty sucks
We will always
have 2007. He was awesome in the post season in ’07 and ’08.
Don’t blame him – I didn’t think he looked too bad this year.
by flasoxfan on Jun 4, 2011 1:19 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I will forever blame anyone who says that they'd rather be traded than help in the majors
when they’re getting paid a good salary to do it and are only in the minors because they’ve sucked several years in a row. He should appreciate that the Red Sox were willing to re-sign him after his performance the last couple of years.
The link doesn’t work for me so I don’t know exactly what he said… but he didn’t seem to say he’d ‘rather be traded than help in the majors’. I’m pretty sure he wants to help in the majors but the Sox don’t want him – they’re going with different lefties before him. It sounds like Okie is doing exactly what most of us would want him to.
by GJ on Jun 4, 2011 9:43 AM EDT up reply actions
Thanks for the quote... happy to be corrected.
I still can’t blame a guy. I think I’d be more disappointed if, after taking the money, he was happy to bounce up and down…
by GJ on Jun 4, 2011 10:41 AM EDT up reply actions
This is my thought too...
I just cannot blame him for being upset that they bounced him down when he did pitch about as well as we could have hoped for (except that first appearance).
He’s a competitor, he wants to go some where he can contribute, and where he’s wanted. We haven’t exactly suggested to him that he’s wanted here.
and yet the fact that he signed here
implies to me that very few, if any teams, have expressed interest in him pitching there. The fact is, if he thought he had a legitimate chance of someone else picking him him and putting him in the majors, he would’ve refused him assignment to the minors. No one picked him up and he didn’t, which is just clearly telling him that he will not make that much money again because he is not good enough to.
Oki signed a 1.75M dollar contract
with the thought that he’d be playing on the MLB roster, I’m sure. Or, that he’d prove himself in the minors and get promoted.
By moving him up and down the system, you are deflating his potential future value for a contract next year and potentially in subsequent years.
Galactus does as he pleases. Because Galactus is drunk.
@#$%ing Twit: @blogtard
I think the fact that he has to pass through waivers
in order to be sent down and yet is still in the Red Sox system speaks for itself.
I agree with that.
I don’t think the argument is whether he’s earning his money or is worth a spot on anyone’s roster – just that he’s not going to get an opportunity to earn his money here…
by GJ on Jun 4, 2011 10:47 AM EDT up reply actions
Wait so we should keep him on the Major league roster just to appease him?
Even if he sucks?
Screw him, if he had pitched better he wouldn’t be in this situation.
No.
I’m pretty sure that the Sox and Oki (and me) want Oki in someone elses uniform and both parties know it…
Oki is doing the right thing here for himself and the organization by working on increasing his trade value – he can’t do that if gets called up to majors and sits on the pine for weeks. He need to pitch.
by GJ on Jun 4, 2011 10:55 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah but the nature of
Pros in any field is a strong sense of self. This is probably enhanced among Japanese players whose status is so important. Right now, despite his past contributions and this year’s renaissance, the Sox cut his pay and then kicked him to the curb. That is not acceptable in any job, regardless of pay, and he has lost face big time. IMHO he would help the Giants get to postseason, would find the social element he has missed in Boston in San Francisco, and could flummox NLW batters for several years. I’m sure the Giants have someone good to trade. The Sox need to save some face here too,in the I
Portant Asian market, especially with Daisuke making his exit.
Agreed with the "strong sense of self".
Oki never should have been re-signed in the first place. To this day, I am absolutely baffled by this. To take a guy who pitched so well for us for 2 or 3 years, not extend him (rightly so), sign him back, then yo-yo him up and down…why bother?
Let the guy friggin’ pitch somewhere.
Galactus does as he pleases. Because Galactus is drunk.
@#$%ing Twit: @blogtard
Doesn't the fact that we DFA'd him
…and no one wanted him (for free) prove beyond a doubt that he is not a Major League Baseball player.
by Z3rogs on Jun 4, 2011 9:57 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
It's not for free
they’d have to pay what’s left on his 1.75M.
Galactus does as he pleases. Because Galactus is drunk.
@#$%ing Twit: @blogtard
Oh, I thought the acquiring team only paid the minimum
by Z3rogs on Jun 4, 2011 10:42 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
You might be right
I’m not big on the “wheelin’-dealin’” aspect of the game. But, as I stated below, your broader point is a valid one. That no one took a run at him shows that there might not be a whole pile of interest there.
Galactus does as he pleases. Because Galactus is drunk.
@#$%ing Twit: @blogtard
If you DFA a player and someone else claims him
I believe you have 48 hours to work out a trade, or you can just dump the salary on the claiming team.
DFA Rev Halofan
I'm a 7 WAR player in bed.
Official Baker of Red Sox Nation
Fear the Roar.
by TheLoneDavid on Jun 4, 2011 10:42 PM EDT up reply actions
Although your broader point is valid.
Galactus does as he pleases. Because Galactus is drunk.
@#$%ing Twit: @blogtard
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