The Atlanta Braves seen John Smoltz sign with the Boston Red Sox this past week and so they went out and signed Japanese pitcher Kenshin Kawakami. Kawakami has pitched the last 11 seasons in Japan’s central league and was one of the best pitchers in the league. Kawakami went 9-5 with a 2.30 ERA in 20 appearances (16 starts) and 117 1/3 innings for the Chunichi Dragons this past season. He missed nearly three weeks in September with a strained back and pitched most of the season in a six-man rotation.
The Braves are also expected to make a formal offer to free agent Derek Lowe on Monday or Tuesday. Lowe would be a great free agent pickup for the team and will make the starting rotation a lot better.
It will suck to see John Smoltz playing for the Boston Red Sox but general manager Frank Wren just couldn’t take another risk on a verteran pitcher coming off of an injury.
