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Japanese right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka will be pitching in North America in 2007, and whichever team signs him will pay dearly for the privilege. According to MSNBC, Matsuzaka’s team in Japan, the Seibu Lions, intends to put the price at $30 million just for the right to talk to him. Then, once that fee is paid, the club will begin negotiations with Matsuzaka’s agent, Scott Boras.
Oy. Sounds like a giant headache to me. Then again, I have a hard time figuring out what to eat for lunch most days.
Speculation on where Matsuzaka will pitch next year is running wild, and I won’t add to the noise. But here, if you’re interested, are a few places you can learn more about one of Japan’s most celebrated pitchers:
- Matsuzaka Watch. This blog has pretty much everything you’ll need to know about Matsuzaka, including detailed reports of each of his 2006 starts for the Lions (some come with video), attempts to project his potential effectiveness in North America, and discussions about concerns over his workload in Japan. Tremendous resource.
- Scouting Report: Daisuke Matsuzaka – RHP. Jason A. Churchill at Prospect Insider has spoken with a few big-league scouts to get their thoughts on Matsuzaka. Another excellent read.
Intriguingly, some reports claim that Matsuzaka’s repertoire includes the mysterious gyroball pitch, while others aren’t so sure. Whether or not he does is largely irrelevant, of course; the important point is that such speculation adds to the hype.
What do I think? I think I’ll have a sandwich for lunch, but I’m not sure what I’ll put in it. Thanks for asking…
2021 days ago
[...] Daisuke Matsuzaka will provide coniserable drama this year as he comes over to the States. He’s got a pretty good track record and he’s young. I just don’t see the Tigers finding value in coughing up $30 million for the right to talk to him. But if you want to keep track of the saga, Knuckle Curve provides some good sources of information [...]
I must admit, I’m surprised that the M’s won’t be players for Matsuzaka. From a talent and marketing standpoint, he would seem to be an ideal fit.
So after running off at the mouth I read this from the Mariners official site:
Mariners won’t bid for Matsuzaka
Matsuzaka would be worth every penny of the $30million just to talk to him. And worth every cent of whatever he gets for signing with a club here.
I saw the guy pitch the final game of the WBC and he has amazing stuff, and one helluva fast ball.
Being a Mariner fan, I believe that we have the inside track thanks to Japanese interest and a percentage of the team.
Looking at it from Matsuzaka’s point of view, if he played here, he would have a couple of countrymen to hang with. Having a Japanese battery mate (Kenji Johjima) would be a big plus.
From the team viewpoint, imagine the revenue from all the Japanese fans that spend a s**tload of maoney at Safeco Field. It would; no doubt, show a dramatic increase.
Fingers are crossed here. The Mariners need starting pitching if they are to be in any sort of contention in the AL West.