At long last, Hideki Okajima has found his way back at Fenway Park. After an incredibly disappointing season last year, the Red Sox decided to non-tender Okajima in the off season, which resulted in him becoming an un-restricted free agent. The full details of the contract have not yet been released, but it appears as if it will be for one year.
This seems to be a fairly low-risk move that will bring Hideki into the fold along with a handful of other lefties hopeful to wrangle a final spot in the bullpen. The other pitchers battling for that role will be Pawtucket prospect Felix Doubront, veteran Rich Hill and Andrew Miller, who both have non-guaranteed, minor league deals at the moment.
Formerly one of the most reliable relief pitchers in the AL, Okajima struggled mightily last season in the same pressure situations that he thrived in for his first two years of service with the Sox. In 56 appearances, he posted a 4.50 ERA and an atrocious 1.72 WHIP. Those are, by far, his worst career numbers and light years away from the 2.16 ERA and 1.16 WHIP he compiled in 2008.
Despite his spiraling declination, if "Okie" is able to repeat any statistics that remotely resemble his '08 effort, the Sox' front office could come out smelling like red roses. On the flip side, with minimal resources invested in this deal, they can easily cut their losses if he flops.
I have to say, on a personal note, that if the Red Sox had decided to part ways with Hideki, I would have missed seeing his peppy trot from the pen to the mound whenever Francona called upon his services. Regardless of his performance, I have to admit, he does have one of the most entertaining deliveries in all of baseball. I'm not sure if that factored into Theo's decision process (I'm guessing it did), but I think it's at least worth giving him another shot to turn it around.
In the end, this was a move that made sense for Boston. He's familiar with the Sox and vice versa. It's not as thrilling of a signing as Crawford or Gonzalez, but it could potentially fill one of the final remaining voids that exists for the 2011 squad. When Okajima's on his game, he's downright filthy against left-handed hitters, something that is essential to any club that wants to contend for a world championship.
His return will be a welcomed addition and, while Red Sox fans might not be jumping for joy, at least Matsuzaka will still have someone to swap Japanese jokes with. And anything that might help him become more comfortable and improve his performance is a positive in my book!
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