Daisuke Matsuzaka helped the Red Sox signed fellow Japanese pitcher Junichi Tazawa this offseason. Tazawa said he spoke to Matsuzaka before signing the three-year, $3.3 million deal with Boston. "We talked about baseball and also some cultural issues," Tazawa said through a translator at a Fenway Park. "He's got a presence that's even more above the clouds. ... To me, he's the best player, and to be able to learn from him is an incredible opportunity."