Ryan Brasier hadn't thought about the Seiya Suzuki for a few years. But when it was resurfaced, the memories immediately came flooding back.
"When I saw they were in talks involving Seiya, I was like, ‘Oh man!’ He’s a good, good player," the Red Sox reliever told WEEI.com. "I would have zero problems with him being with Red Sox, I will tell you that."
How good?
"He’s a stud. He’s good," Brasier added. "He’s going to be good. He was by far our best hitter."
The pitcher speaks with plenty of familiarity when it comes to the 27-year-old Suzuki, having played with the outfielder as Hiroshima Carp teammates during the 2017 season.
The outfielder has re-entered the social media feeds of Brasier and others because of the Red Sox' continued interest in Suzuki. Even before the righty hitter was posted on Nov. 21 by the Carp -- allowing Major League Baseball teams 30 days to negotiate a deal with the free agent -- one source told WEEI.com that the Sox had scouted Suzuki "thoroughly" leading up to his official availability.
The fit between Suzuki and the Red Sox became even more logical when Hunter Renfroe was shipped to Milwaukee, leaving a hole in the middle of the Sox' order when it came to a run-producing right-handed bat.
And, on top of it, there is the comparison made by Brasier (and others) when it comes to Suzuki.
"Honestly, he kind of reminds me of Renfroe," the pitcher said. "He might be a little faster, and he might have a little better plate presence. But as far as a player with size and power and defense, he reminds me of Renfroe a little bit."
Suzuki has certainly offered the best version of Renfroe for some time, totaling 25 or more home runs in six consecutive seasons while managing a career batting average of .315 while winning four Gold Gloves.
He is also considered a more-than-capable right fielder with a well-above-average arm.
The Red Sox' path to secure Suzuki won't be an easy one, with plenty of teams showing significant interest in the outfielder. It's a pursuit that has to be put on pause due to the current MLB lockout, with teams left with 20 days to negotiate a deal once the work stoppage is concluded.
If nothing else, it will give Red Sox fans time to get to know Suzuki like Brasier already does.
"The first time I saw him you could tell the ball came off his bat different," the Sox hurler said. "Throwing the ball from the outfield … He’s just a hell of a player."