Fact or Fiction about Daisuke Matsuzaka?

Question

A report on Friday afternoon indicated that the Red Sox may have placed the highest bid for Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka.

This came from a Mark Feinsand (MLB.com) article I read.

Your thoughts?

Answer 1

Of all the Japanese MLB players in the past and now, Nomo, Ichiro, Matsui are definitely the best 3 (followed by Jojima and Iguchi). Matsuzaka will be the best one ever.

I am Japanese, and I have been watching Matsuzaka for the past 7 years. He is definitely one of the best 3 pitchers in Japan.

Although he does not throw "gyro ball," he can throw 4 or 5 really nasty breaking balls in addition to well-controlled fast ball (97mph).

When Ichiro was still with a Japanese Professional Baseball team in 1999, Matsuzaka was a rookie pitcher fresh from high school. In their first "match" Matsuzaka struck Ichiro out three at bat in a row. Even Ichiro (he had been the leading hitter for five consecutive years by then) had terribly hard time with only 18-year-old Matsuzaka back then.

Turning 26, at the peak of his pitching career (for another 4 or 5 years), Matsuzaka makes an astonishing debut in MLB. Wow!

Answer 2

I would not be surprised at all that the Red Sox placed such a bid. Recently the Seattle Post-Intelligencer ran a feature article about Matsuzaka and the special pitch he is rumored to throw, which itself has not yet been resolved as fact or fiction.

Up here in Mariners country, there has been much speculation that the Mariners will place a high bid for Matuzaka, in part because of the Ichiro connection and in part because like most teams the Mariners are in desperate need of good pitching. If he turns out as good in the majors as he is in Japan, and the Mariners have him, they might contend for the division this year.

I have nothing against the Red Sox, but I hope that the Mariners take the chance, win the bid and sign him.

Answer 3

If the Red Sox are, in fact, the highest bidders for the pitcher, they could steer Matsuzaka away from the Yankees and simultaneously feed into their own player development system.The Red Sox could offer Matsuzaka and agent Scott Boras a take-it-or-leave or leave it deal of perhaps five years, $45 million, or close to the annual value of what they are paying their own young hard thrower, Josh Beckett.

If Boras and Matsuzaka balk at this and threaten to go back to Japan, the Red Sox could contact other teams and conduct a trade auction and deal the rights to negotiate with him.

Some baseball executives privately speculated on this kind of scenario Friday:

Say the Mets bid something in the range of $28 million for Matsuzaka, in their pursuit of a power pitcher. The Red Sox could ask the Mets for reliever Aaron Heilman and a prospect — maybe Lastings Milledge, maybe a pitcher like Mike Pelfrey or Philip Humber, maybe a lesser player — in return for Matsuzaka. And the Red Sox could also ask the Mets to forward something close to the posting fee they bid.

The Mets might say no; they might say yes. They need a power pitcher. For Heilman, a prospect and at least a large portion of Boston’s posting fee, they could have Matsuzaka.

The Red Sox, on the other hand, could pay the difference in the posting fee and get someone like Heilman and more prospects in return. In the end, they would effectively be purchasing talent from other organizations, and at the same time, keep Matsuka away from the Yankees, at a time when he would be a perfect puzzle piece for the rival Bronx Bombers.

Answer 4

I remember reading GO Sawx..'s good answer somewhere else, word for word..

No one knows yet if it is fact or fiction, but by almost all accounts, it seems to be more fact than fiction.

It gives the Red Sox a foot in the Japanese market, which will grow the organisation, it gives them a young pitcher for a few years, gives them another potential ace to go along with Beckett and Papelbon

Probably means they can get a pitcher for about market price than way way above it (see Zito)

Schilling, Beckett, Papelbon, Matsuzaka.. Wakefield - pretty solid rotation that.

Of course this is only applicable if their bid was the highest and they sign him.

Answer 5

The Sox, if they are infact the high bidders, then they're only blocking the Yankees...why pay $45 million dollars + a contract for a player from Japan, who may have troubles with the transition, who may not be comfortable around a team like Boston, which has no other Japanese players?

It's not worth it at all.

The Red Sox, we need lots of things this offseason, and while starting pitching is one of them, we could almost accomplish aquiring all of the things we need most this offseason with the money we would be shelling out just for Matsuzaka.

In short...He'll be back on the Seibu Lions next season in Japan. Where he'll stay for a long time.

Answer 6

If the reports are true that the Bosox paid 38-45 million just to negotiate with him then Congratulations you have essentially paid a lot of money for an unknown. If you remember awhile back the Yankees had very high expectations from a Japanese pitcher named Hidecki Irabu and they paid a handsome fee for him as well. He was a bust and we were stuck with him through his contract. Yes Matsuzaka pitched well in the world baseball classic but this is the big leagues and he will have to pitch every 5th day. Good luck

Answer 7

Several reliable sources (Buster Olney and Peter Gammons of ESPN specifically) have indicated that the Red Sox are indeed the highest bidder, far outbidding other teams. The amount has yet to be determined, but estimates range from $38 million to over $50 million.

Answer 8

Very classy of you =) I appreciate it and I'm sure he would too lol. It was in my opinion the best outing of his career. I also thought he would do it (especially after what Beltre had done to preserve it just a minute earlier!) but I'm still proud of him. Certainly not easy doing something like that to such a great line-up like the Phillies have. I'll make a bold prediction and say the Red Sox win 5-4. In the past they've done pretty well at times against Roy Halladay and hopefully they will tomorrow

Answer 9

I like what King said. This guy is a bit of an unknown and it may be risky to spend so much money. Only thing I'm wondering is if the Red Sox do sign him,,, would anyone be willing to pick up his contract if they were to trade him?? Well,, we also haven't seen his "phenom" pitch at work in the big leagues yet. AKA the "Gyro Ball". Man that is SICK!! Hope the BoSox got him.

Answer 10

Yes that is actually true. Daisuke Matsuzaka is either going to the Red Sox or the Angels. They are the highest bidders. But, if you win the auction, you don't have to put him onto your team. I heard that if the Red Sox win, they are going to use him as BIG trade bait to trade to another team.