Matsuzaka deal may be Done

by Randy Booth on Dec 13, 2006 1:16 PM EST in News

The Red Sox contingent in Southern California is flying back to Boston with pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka and his agent, Scott Boras, on board.

"You can assume that a deal is done or close," said one source with direct knowledge of the talks.

Team owner John W. Henry confirmed that Boras and Matsuzaka were flying back with the team, writing in an e-mail to the Associated Press: "They all took off together."

We don't know how much, but we do know it's going to be a lot. If it's less than $14 million a year, I think we've got a decent deal.

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Re: Matsuzaka deal may be Done

"flying back to Boston with pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka and his agent, Scott Boras, on board."

Hey Theo, do us all a favor and knock Boras out the cargo door... Please?

by tommy.otm on Dec 13, 2006 1:30 PM EST reply actions

Re: Matsuzaka deal may be Done

I hate boras even more then any yankee.

If reports are right were offering 8 mil and boras wants 11.
If we split right at 9 for 6 years, I will be a happy man.

54 million for this guy is a steal considering the royals paid 55 (i think) for Meche.

I knew wearing a piece of red sox gear every day for the last week would work.

by Alex being Alex on Dec 13, 2006 1:56 PM EST reply actions

Re: Matsuzaka deal may be Done

by Alex being Alex on Dec 13, 2006 1:56 PM EST reply actions

what a joke

This deal is unreal 6 years 51 million the Sox simple rapped Mr.Boras on this one. It just shows he had no leverage.

by 86 years later on Dec 13, 2006 2:56 PM EST reply actions

According to CNNSI

The deal is for $52M over 6 years, with escalators that can boost the deal to a total of $60M.

Total cost to the Sox is $111M over 6 years for a dominant Japanese pitcher (whom we hope translates well) and a foothold in Japan's markets.

Personally, I think the Matsuzaka deal pays for itself by the time Henry & Co. have had 6 years to expand business into Japan.

With Matty and Okaji, we should have two very good pitchers. A third guy, Masumi Kuwata, a friend of Matsuzaka's, is expected to sign & join the team in camp, but it's unlikely he'll make the team (he's 38 and had a 5.00+ ERA in Japan).

"You know you're having a bad day when the fifth inning rolls around and they drag the warning track." - Mike Flanagan, Baltimore Orioles pitcher, 1992.

by SoxDevil on Dec 13, 2006 2:57 PM EST reply actions

Re: According to CNNSI

My point being that there will probably be a very large contingent of Japanese reporters in Ft. Myers this spring.

"You know you're having a bad day when the fifth inning rolls around and they drag the warning track." - Mike Flanagan, Baltimore Orioles pitcher, 1992.

by SoxDevil on Dec 13, 2006 2:58 PM EST up reply actions

Re: According to CNNSI

If that deal is done like you say...thats amazing...really not a bad deal at all.

by spinz on Dec 13, 2006 4:33 PM EST up reply actions

Re: According to CNNSI

I know most of you think that this will translate into more dollars in Japan. Not really for the Red Sox. Any MLB apparel sold is split by every 30 teams. It will help baseball, not really the Red Sox.

by ReLaunch on Dec 13, 2006 7:52 PM EST up reply actions

Re: According to CNNSI

The Sox make 48 cents on the dollar for all baseball-related revenue, according to Seth Mnookin's Feeding the Monster. However, NESN is NOT baseball revenue and the Sox own an 80% stake. Broadcast rights and advertising revenue on NESN is the real prize. I'm sure there are other avenues for non-baseball related business, but that's the most obvious.

"You know you're having a bad day when the fifth inning rolls around and they drag the warning track." - Mike Flanagan, Baltimore Orioles pitcher, 1992.

by SoxDevil on Dec 14, 2006 9:28 AM EST up reply actions

Great Job Theo

All the hits that Theo took this off season should have be cleared right now. THe fact that we offered about 8 million for our first offer and only have to pay the kid just over 10 million a year is amazing. I wrote this morning that this deal had an erry resenbelence to the Manny for A-Rod deal, but this one got done. Once again, great job Theo.

by absolutelax395 on Dec 13, 2006 4:40 PM EST reply actions

Re: Matsuzaka deal may be Done

May I be the not first to say: Woo Hoo!

"They say giving is it's own reward. But what's in it for you?" -Stephen Colbert

by Allen Chace on Dec 13, 2006 4:52 PM EST reply actions

HA!

In a related note, a source told the Globe's Nick Cafardo that during the Matsuzaka negotiations, Boras was trying to sell the Red Sox on signing Chan Ho Park to be the team's closer.

Well, I'll give this to Boras - he's got a sense of humor.

by tommy.otm on Dec 13, 2006 4:58 PM EST reply actions

Re: Matsuzaka deal may be Done

6/$52 is a great deal for us (works out to just under 9 per year, with incentives could be $10 per which would make me even happier since that means he is playing well). Also Maribelli is back with a 1 year contract worth 700K plus incentives.

I'd be curious to see Chan Ho in camp to give him a shot, he can't be getting alot of interest from around the league so maybe it can happen.

Get your Yankees Suck - Japanese shirts now: http://www.cafepress.com/yankeessuckjap

by jsnvaritek33 on Dec 13, 2006 5:15 PM EST reply actions

Re: Matsuzaka deal may be Done

Plus the bidding price, it works out to cost the sox 18 million a year....we can just hope he pitches that rich...

by spinz on Dec 13, 2006 6:38 PM EST up reply actions

Re: Matsuzaka deal may be Done

I think a good portion of the posting fee (at least half) should be made up just by advertising in Japan alone, so think more in the are of 13-14

Get your Yankees Suck - Japanese shirts now: http://www.cafepress.com/yankeessuckjap

by jsnvaritek33 on Dec 13, 2006 7:00 PM EST up reply actions

Re: Matsuzaka deal may be Done

true..i guess ad revenues makes the whole thing more reasonable.

As a fan though, who cares how much it cost, they got it done and now we get to watch an ace-quality pitcher try and live up to the hype :)

by spinz on Dec 13, 2006 7:13 PM EST up reply actions

Re: Matsuzaka deal may be Done

As Bob Ryan said, its all just Monopoly money now

Get your Yankees Suck - Japanese shirts now: http://www.cafepress.com/yankeessuckjap

by jsnvaritek33 on Dec 13, 2006 7:16 PM EST up reply actions

Re: Matsuzaka deal may be Done

Also MLB just signed new TV and labor agreements which is why we have all this crazy spending

Get your Yankees Suck - Japanese shirts now: http://www.cafepress.com/yankeessuckjap

by jsnvaritek33 on Dec 13, 2006 7:19 PM EST up reply actions

Chan Ho

He's worth a try-out - who isn't - but I wouldn't expect much. And I hope to God we don't go to spring training thinking he's in the mix for closer.

by tommy.otm on Dec 14, 2006 3:49 AM EST up reply actions

Wellcome

Welcome to Boston, Daisuke. Don't screw up.

by absolutelax395 on Dec 13, 2006 10:45 PM EST reply actions

This is a terrific deal, I believe.

It's been a fantastic, and fun, off season to be a Red Sox fan. Even if you take into account the re-signing of Dougie (bah).

Incidentally, I'll take this opportunity to debut my new nickname suggestion for Daisuke: The Duke.

Vote for Pedroia

by britsoxfan on Dec 14, 2006 4:20 AM EST reply actions

Re: This is a terrific deal, I believe.

I'm feeling "Dice" for a nickname...

OverTheMonster.com

by Randy Booth on Dec 14, 2006 8:54 AM EST up reply actions

Re: This is a terrific deal, I believe.

Dice-K is what's been going around SoSH.

Jack Roy f/k/a Tony the Pony

by Tony the pony on Dec 14, 2006 11:13 AM EST up reply actions

Re: This is a terrific deal, I believe.

Blech. Orlando Hernandez is the (self-proclaimed) El Duque. The resemblance is too close for me.

I like Matty.

"You know you're having a bad day when the fifth inning rolls around and they drag the warning track." - Mike Flanagan, Baltimore Orioles pitcher, 1992.

by SoxDevil on Dec 14, 2006 9:31 AM EST up reply actions

Well never mind the nickname.

But I'm happy to report that an anagram of Daisuke Matsuzaka is "A USA kamikaze stud".

Vote for Pedroia

by britsoxfan on Dec 14, 2006 10:12 AM EST reply actions

Re: Matsuzaka deal may be Done

Let me start by saying i usually do not like Dan Shaughnessy but this article is hilarious

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2006/12/14/some_friendly_suggestions_for_matsu zaka/

Get your Yankees Suck - Japanese shirts now: http://www.cafepress.com/yankeessuckjap

by jsnvaritek33 on Dec 14, 2006 4:59 PM EST reply actions

Re: Matsuzaka deal may be Done

Great article. I don't like Shaughnessy either - when I was 12 I asked him to sign my copy of the "Curse of the Bambino," he looked right at me and said "No."

True story.

by tommy.otm on Dec 14, 2006 7:06 PM EST up reply actions

CLemens?

Herald is reporting the Sox are in the front running for CLemens

http://thetrack.bostonherald.com/moreTrack/view.bg?articleid=171964

Get your Yankees Suck - Japanese shirts now: http://www.cafepress.com/yankeessuckjap

by jsnvaritek33 on Dec 14, 2006 5:09 PM EST reply actions

Re: Matsuzaka deal may be Done

Oh too good... actually Daisuke's nickname is the Monster. Fantastic!

Live press conference on MLB.com right now (and NESN)

Vote for Pedroia

by britsoxfan on Dec 14, 2006 5:10 PM EST reply actions

Re: Matsuzaka deal may be Done

Sure, but that was in Japan. Now that he's in the US, you know someone is going to try to call him Godzilla.

by RSNexile on Dec 14, 2006 9:44 PM EST up reply actions

Re: Matsuzaka deal may be Done

Theo at the press conference just described him as both a power pitcher and an artist and a craftsman on the mound. It's difficult not to get carried away by the hype.

Vote for Pedroia

by britsoxfan on Dec 14, 2006 5:41 PM EST reply actions

Re: Matsuzaka deal may be Done

LL extends the invitation to the Japanese baseball world to come to Fenway, to Boston and New England. Very cannily put.

Vote for Pedroia

by britsoxfan on Dec 14, 2006 5:46 PM EST reply actions

Re: Matsuzaka deal may be Done

Lucchino: "Our plan, our hope, is to be active and involved in Japan and to expand our presence. We are very proud to have Hideki Okajima joining the team... and we think these two young men are the beginnings of a long term relationship with Japan and the Japanese baseball world."

Vote for Pedroia

by britsoxfan on Dec 14, 2006 5:47 PM EST reply actions