FORT MYERS, Fla. - It could be one of those signings when a team doesn't spend much or expect much, or it could be one of the Red Sox' best moves of the offseason.
What if Takashi Saito returns to his form of 2007 with the Dodgers, when he had 39 saves and was a National League All-Star? OK, with Jonathan Papelbon around Saito's not going to have 40 saves, but if his balky elbow holds up and he can excel in a setup role, Boston will have something.
The 39-year-old righthander wears No. 24; he asked Manny Ramírez for permission to wear it before signing with the Sox. Like most Japanese pitchers, Saito is very courteous, and he said he made sure to get Ramírez's permission because of his deep respect for his former Dodgers teammate.
"Manny said, 'No problem,' " said Saito through interpreter Masa Hoshino. "He said 24 and 99 are both very lucky numbers and to take one of them. I am very appreciative of the Red Sox for allowing me to wear the number."
Saito has no illusions of being the closer in Boston, and he knows one of his biggest challenges is adapting to a setup role he's not had before. When he came back from elbow issues last September, the Dodgers used him to close, but then he became a mop-up man.
"Just before the playoffs, and even after we clinched, I came in to close a few games," he said. "I think there were some difficulties in communication, but I had prepared to be a closer but I'd be brought into games and situations where it was 10-0 and I wouldn't perform really well. At the time, I don't know if I felt disappointed . . . but I moved beyond that, and if the team had advanced to the World Series I would have been ready to come back in.
"Of course I understand the situations that I come in will be different and I know I will have to adjust to it mentally and physically, but right now is the time to start making those adjustments," he said. "It's an area where I can't spare any effort, giving my all to get prepared for my new role so that I can contribute to the Red Sox."
Pitching coach John Farrell is still getting a feel for Saito and how he prepares in spring training. He's been trying to find out what his camps were like with the Dodgers and has come to the conclusion Saito gradually builds up to game-time shape. The important thing is that he's pain-free.
Saito's elbow will be tricky sledding for the Sox because, according to sources familiar with his medical condition, there isn't much left in the joint. If Saito weren't 39 he'd probably have had surgery, but if he were to sit out a year he'd then be making a comeback at 40, and that's hard to do.
READER COMMENTS »
View reader comments » Comment on this story »