Naoyuki Uwasawa wants to stick with the Rays

But his contract has a March 23 opt-out, so we’ll see if he remains with the organization

Perhaps the most interesting non-roster invitees in Port Charlotte this spring is right-handed pitcher Naoyuki Uwasawa out of Japan, and he really wants to pitch for the Rays. Unfortunately, the 30-year old is unlikely to have a spot given how many are ahead of him on the depth chart.

But no matter how deep your pitcher depth chart, as Rays fans well know, you never know when you’ll need the next man up.

Uwasawa has no illusions. He knows that he isn’t quaranteed a spot on the squad. But, even if Uwasawa fails to make the Opening Day roster, he wants to pitch for the Rays in the minor leagues.

“I’m going to compete for a spot on the opening (day) roster. But if that doesn’t happen, I’m going to still try to get better as a pitcher. Even in Triple A, nothing’s going to change.”

Although he is technically a rookie in camp, Uwasawa comes to the Rays with 11 years of experience pitching for the Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan, pitching in his first season as professional at just 19 years of age in 2013. He is a workhorse who averaged 7 innings per outing in 2023.

In January, when the Rays signed Uwasawa to a minor league deal that included an invite to Spring Training, Uwasawa agreed to a contract that pays him $2.5M (with an additional $1M in incentives) if he is in the big leagues and $225K while in the minor leagues. Uwasawa chose this contract from the Rays over at least one team’s offer of a MLB contract. It’s not about the money for Uwasawa, it’s about improving himself as a pitcher and he figured the Tampa Bay Rays would be the best organization to help him with this goal.

“This is my year that I’ve got to show everyone in the States what I’m capable of doing, and that’s why (I chose) the Rays. I think they offer me a lot of opportunity to grow as a pitcher, so I think this is my spot.”

Uwasawa’s dedication to the Rays could be put the test towards the end of Spring Training. His contract has an assignment clause stating that on March 23rd, if another team wants to give him an opportunity to be placed on their 40-man roster, the Rays will be forced to let him go or to add him to their 40-man roster.

If Uwasawa doesn’t make the Opening Day roster, he will be an interesting addition to the Durham Bulls starting rotation that should feature a cavalcade of interesting pitchers to watch such as Shane Baz, Brendan McKay, and Mason Montgomery.