In a potentially sensitive move for Japanese professional baseball, highly touted fastballer Junichi Tazawa has taken the controversial step of pursuing a major league career by dodging the amateur draft.
Tazawa, the Nippon Oil ace who has drawn the interest of the Boston Red Sox and a handful of other major league clubs, said Thursday he will test the open market in North America by bypassing next month's draft in Japan, which had been expected to revolve around the 22-year-old top-pick candidate.
"You rarely get a chance to take a shot at the majors and I made this decision in mid-August after consulting with my team manager and coaches," Tazawa said at a press conference. "There are many things to worry about, but I want to see how much I can do and develop my potential there."