According to Ian Browne at MLB.com, the Boston Red Sox, no strangers to the Japanese player pool, have signed free-agent right-hander Terumasa Matsuo. The team of course landed Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima prior to the 2007 season, both of whom helped them to a World Championship.

Matsuo, 26, was pitching for the Independent Shikoku Island League in Japan. In 2007, he was the MVP of his league, posting a 15-3 record, 1.72 ERA and 159 strikeouts over 30 starts. In 2006, he had an equally impressive season, going 11-2 with a 1.82 ERA.

Terumasa Matsuo will report to extended Spring Training in Florida sometime this week. I don’t have a lot of information about his “stuff,” but I have read that his fastball is in the low-90’s.

Filed under: Boston Red Sox