The Red Sox re-signed left-hander Hideki Okajima to a one-year, $1.75 million contract on Monday, bringing the 35-year-old Japanese reliever back for his fifth season in Boston.
Okajima notably struggled last year, posting a 4.50 ERA and a 1.72 WHIP in 56 appearances for Boston. He ceded his set-up role to Daniel Bard on a full-time basis, and he also admitted to struggling with the isolation of the language barrier between himself and his teammates.
Previously, Okajima had been one of the Red Sox's most reliable bullpen arms, posting a 2.22 ERA during the 2007 regular season — his first with the club. He also owns a 2.11 ERA in 17 career postseason appearances. Each year of his career, however, saw a slight increase of his ERA until 2010, when it jumped by over a run per game.
Tampa Bay, Oakland, Toronto and the New York Mets had all been interested in Okajima, according to ESPN.com.
His $1.75 million salary will be a seven-figure decrease of the $2.75 million he made in 2010.
