LAS VEGAS -- The market for free agent Kenshin Kawakami of Japan is developing slowly, but the Red Sox did express interest in the 33-year-old right-hander on the last day of the winter meetings, according to a Baseball source.
The final spot in the Sox rotation is up for grabs, with names such as Justin Masterson, Clay Buchholz and free agent John Smoltz among the possibilities. Should the club's interest in Kawakami grow, he also would be a candidate. Kawakami, meanwhile, has interest in playing for the Red Sox, who already have an infrastructure that supports Japanese players, with pitchers Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima already are on the team.
Earlier this month, the Sox signed free agent Japanese reliever Junichi Tazawa to a major league deal, although he is expected to begin the season at Double A.
The Orioles are among a number of teams interested in Kawakami, a 10-year veteran of the Chunichi Dragons of Japan's Central League.
He is not expected to sign until next month.
Sox add pitchers
The Rule 5 draft, the closing ceremony of each year's winter meetings, was held yesterday morning at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino.
The Red Sox selected right-handed reliever Miguel Gonzalez from the Angels' Triple-A roster with the No. 18 pick in the major league portion of the draft.
Gonzalez, 24, is known for his command, with a fastball that tops out at 92 mph, a slider and a changeup. He did not pitch last season because of a right knee injury, but has been excellent so far in the Mexican League (3-1 record with a 0.99 ERA, 32 strikeouts and eight walks in 36 1/3 innings).
General manager Theo Epstein said Gonzalez ``really competes and we're excited about his chances of helping our bullpen.''
Because of his Rule 5 status, Gonzalez must be kept on the major league roster all season or else be placed on waivers. If he is not picked up, he then must be offered back to the Angels for $25,000, or half the price the Red Sox paid for him.
The Sox also picked up right-handed reliever Jason Rice from the Chicago White Sox and right-handed starter Miguel Marquez from the Seattle Mariners in the Triple-A segment of the draft.
The Sox did not have any players picked by other teams, an example, said one team official, of either having ``terrible depth or a masterful job of roster protection.''
Cashing out?
Gonzalez' addition maxes out the Red Sox' 40-man roster but it will shrink back to 39 today when the club non-tenders catcher Kevin Cash a 2009 contract. The club hopes Cash will agree to a minor league deal, but there is no guarantee.
Had the Red Sox tendered him a contract, Cash would have gone to arbitration and probably would have commanded a '09 salary somewhere around $600,000. He is the only player from the 40-man roster who will be non-tendered . . .
The Red Sox sent right-handed reliever Beau Vaughan to the Texas Rangers as part of the trade last month for righty Wes Littleton.
Vaughan, a third-round pick in the 2003 draft, went 3-2 with a 2.33 ERA in 46 appearances for Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket last season.
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