Daisuke Matsuzaka will not be reunited with Terry Francona after all.
Francona’s Indians granted the right-hander his release Tuesday, allowing Matsuzaka the opportunity to catch on with another team before the end of the season.
“We didn’t have an immediate major league opportunity for Daisuke,” Cleveland general manager Chris Antonetti told reporters. ”He had been throwing well in Triple-A, and thought that he may have a better opportunity elsewhere, so he asked for his release, and we granted it.”
Matsuzaka has pitched well for Triple-A Columbus of late, allowing a single earned run in five of his last 10 starts, but it became evident that the Indians had plans to promote him into their already stacked rotation. Though Matsuzaka failed to reach the majors in Cleveland, his former manager does not view his stint with the organization as a waste of time.
“I don’t know if it’s unfortunate,” Francona said. “It’s good for him to log innings for his career. Just giving him a chance to maybe go somewhere is good for him.”
If reports are to be believed, the 32-year-old may not be out of baseball for long. According to CBSSports.com’s Scott Miller, Matsuzaka has drawn interest from “one or two” clubs still in the playoff race and another that is already out of contention.
In six seasons with the Red Sox, Matsuzaka compiled a 50-37 record in 116 starts, posting a 4.52 ERA and 1.47 WHIP.
