Baseball
Indians go to Japan to find bullpen help
Kobayashi's signing should bolster strong relief corps
Wednesday, November 21, 2007 3:08 AM
By
Scott Priestle
The Columbus Dispatch
Masahide Kobayashi
A year ago, the Cleveland Indians made what one team official described as a "competitive" one-year offer for Japanese reliever Hideki Okajima. It was their first cautious step into a deep talent pool.
The Boston Red Sox offered similar money for two years, Okajima accepted, and he became an All-Star setup man in his first season in the United States.
The Indians went back into the water this offseason, this time with both feet. They signed veteran Japanese reliever Masahide Kobayashi to a two-year contract yesterday worth a reported $6.25 million, with a club option for a third season.