Right-hander Terumasa Matsuo, who pitches for an independent baseball league team in Kagawa Prefecture, has signed a minor league deal with the Boston Red Sox, the Japanese team said Saturday. Matsuo, who pitches for the Kagawa Olive Guyners of the Shikoku-Kyushu Island League, is the first player to sign a contract with a major league club since the league, then known as the Shikoku Island League, launched its inaugural season in the spring of 2005. "It still hasn't hit home yet but I want to try to play my best baseball," Matsuo said at a press conference before he heads for the United States on Tuesday. Matsuo helped lead Kagawa to consecutive league titles last season and won MVP honors after posting a 15-3 mark with a 1.72 ERA.
