Red Sox release Japanese pitcher Shunsuke Watanabe

The Red Sox cut ties on Saturday with non-roster invitee Shunsuke Watanabe, the 37-year-old right-hander who signed a minor-league contract with the club in December, according to WEEI's Alex Speier.

Watanabe appeared in just three Grapefruit League games this spring, surrendering two earned runs on two hits over three innings of work. The former Nippon Professional Baseball star spent the last 13 seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines, crafting a 3.65 ERA with a 1.24 WHIP over 240 starts and 15 relief appearances.