Highly touted amateur fastballer Junichi Tazawa on Tuesday received visits from Atlanta Braves and Seattle Mariners scouts, the first time that he has met with Major League Baseball scouts since he asked to be passed over by 12 Japanese clubs in last Thursday's draft.
Nippon Oil manager Hideaki Okubo, who accompanied Tazawa in talks with the scouts, hinted the Braves have offered him a major league contract, saying, "They intend to sign Tazawa, and the Braves said they want him to play in the majors."