The Texas Rangers have lost a battle to lure highly touted amateur pitcher Junichi Tazawa to the team on a lucrative offer, their official Web site said Wednesday.
The report said that Rangers officials are quietly acknowledging defeat, admitting they expect the right-hander to sign with the Boston Red Sox.
Of the teams that have put forward concrete offers for the 22-year-old Nippon Oil pitcher, the Rangers have reportedly made the most attractive bid in terms of amount and duration.
But Tazawa, as reported in the article, appears inclined to join Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima with the Red Sox in Boston.