How Funny Would It Be If Matsuzaka Was A Fluke?

Question

Paying over 100 million just to get him?

All that money, and he sucks?

I'd be laughing so hard because the Red Sox went through that much trouble just to get a losing pitcher.

Will it happen? Probably not, but lets just say the 07-08 season already passed, and Matsuzaka was a total loser.

Would you be laughing at the Red Sox?

Baseballgal5...

the boston red sox actually did pay him 100 million dollars. about 51 or so to negotiate with him and 50 million to sign him.

You dont call that over 100 million dollars? Learn your math.

Answer 1

That would clearly teach every GM to NOT, and I repeat, NOT to buy someone without a good MLB career. and especially, to NOT pay such a boat load just to talk to him!

(MLB, not Japanese Baseball)

This would be a complete embarresment to the Red Sox and i would say "It's our money." They get a crappy pitcher while in Japan the Saigo Tigers get 51 Million American Dollars wich is... some million Yin.

But let's see... hmm...

Johan is getting paid 21 Million dollars with a probable bonus... and Matsuzaka is getting what? 50 Million or so?

I expect Matsuzaka to do twice as good as Johan.

Answer 2

He will probably be pretty good the first year and everyone will say the Red Sox were right and Theo is a genius. Then because of the big toll that the heavy workload of 200 innings a season took on his arm at a young age, he will need Tommy John surgery in two years. At the end of five years, they will calculate that he got paid $5 million a win or something. (Note in the $105 million contract that Boras got Kevin Brown, he won 55 games for the Dodgers).

There actually is a correlation between heavy inning workloads at a young age and arm troubles. Matsuzaka grew to be a legend in Japan because of his back to back no hitters on consecutive days in the high school championship which is hyped like the NCAA basketball tournament in the U.S. No one hopes he gets injured but the correlation exists. I would be rooting for Matsuzaka but laughing at Theo.

Answer 3

Matsuzaka hasn't proven anything against any big leauge hitters yet. In the WBC which a lot of people are basing his stats off of he pitched against the Chinese Taipei, Mexico, and Cuba. Chinese Taipei only good player is Chein-Ming Wang and he's a pitcher and did not even play in it and Mexico's best player was Jorge Cantu who is just an average player. Cuba of coure and 0 major league hitters. If Matsuzaka would have faced the Dominican, USA, or Puerto Rico we would have some sort of idea of how good he is. Based off the teams he faced im not impressed, so i think it would be funny because Boston is trying to become the Yankees.
Obviously Boston fans and management are not that smart, throwing an extra 20 million to make sure they win when 40 mill even 35 mill would have won the rights to negotiate with them. Having spent the extra 15 mill they won't be able to sign Clemens, Zito, or and other big name players unless they trade Manny. If they do that then say good bye to Ortiz big numbers cause JD Drew sure as f**k won't be able to protect him. Don't even get me started on how bad his contract is. Atleast when Yankees "buy players" they are acually good and have contributed to the team.
It would almost be as funny as Tigers pitchers forgetting how to set their feet and make a throw to the first basemen.

Answer 4

Not really. Given Matsuzaka pedigree in Japan and what he displayed at the World Baseball Classic, he has shown he can be a high caliber pitcher.

It is possible he'll struggle with the Red Sox. He has pitched over 200 innings for the majority of his career and he is used to pitching on six days rest instead of five.

Combine those factors with the fact that he'll be pitching the majority of his schedule against the powerful AL East, often in high-pressure games and it makes you think he might suffer some set-backs.

Personally, I'd be shocked if Matsuzaka turned out to be a complete bust. He's only 26-years old and he'll be pitching alongside some crafty veterans. I do forsee him struggling to adjust, even the greats take time to adjust. Roger Clemens struggled for a season or so trying to adapt to pitching for the Yankees, as has Randy Johnson. This is the same hype, but on the different side of the battle.

Expect some struggles, but in the end I'd expect D-Mat to be a pretty solid pitcher over the duration of the contract.

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EDIT: to clay4president345

The Red Sox paid $51,111,111 million to negotiate with D-Mat, not $100 million. Get your numbers right before trying to answer people's questions.


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Answer 5

Man, it is obvious who the stupidest fans in baseball are. Yankee fans, They think they are so clever because they can buy championships. Or they thought they could.

They simply imply Dice-K will be a joke because he joined the Sox. If he had joined the Yankees instead, all of the idiotic Yankee fans on this site would be on their knees licking Dice-K and Steinbrenners balls. Don't even deny it.

It would also not be funny at all. They estimate in his 6 years he will bring the Sox around 60m in Japanese Revenue, so we would be getting a top notch ace pitcher for less than 10m a year, averaged out with the bid.

Answer 6

MVP of the Inaugural Wold Baseball Classic, and your calling him a fluke? Ok, given he didn't play as many games in a regular season in Japan like he would here, but the man still one 16 games, and it took him a less amount of time. This is what scouts are for, he's just getting in his prime. Confident enough to be a power pitcher, but not to the point where he isn't willing to change his mechanics if the coaches see something wrong. Come on people, look at stats before you throw out "fluke"

Answer 7

No I won't be laughing, but I will be heckling Red Sox fans taunting them that you can't "buy" a championship.

And about Matsazuka's play? Japanese pitchers historically have had much trouble adapting to the majors... so anything can happen

Answer 8

That would be funny, this is one question im not even looking to be awarded the best response 4 this question. Im to busy imagining the look on the redsox face if that happens and laughing, BY the way go YANKEES! lets hope that he does fluke and we get the championship.

Answer 9

This is more of a comment to "Choro-Kun's" comment. He wrote:

"That would clearly teach every GM to NOT, and I repeat, NOT to buy someone without a good MLB career. and especially, to NOT pay such a boat load just to talk to him!"

The Mets payed Kaz Matsui large dollars expecting him to be the next Ichiro. That sure didn't pan out well, and no one learned.

That said, this guy is widely considered one of the best pitchers in the world. Do I expect him to dominate? No. But he'll be a real good starter.

Answer 10

no fluke and no i wouldnt be laughing at red sox im a red sox fan the red sox will kick anyteams @$$ with the monster matsuzaka hahahhahahahahaha and he plays for the bosox now