Matsuzaka: Red Sox Win w/ $51.1M Bid

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Aww, poor Mark Brown!

[soccer10k]

Matsuzaka Watch[/url]"]Two tabloids are reporting that their is tension at the Seibu offices as a result of a possible low bid. Speculation has been widely made, including here, that the winner may produce upwards of $30 million just to speak with Matsuzaka. These new reports suggest that the amount was substantially lower, and that it may even be half of that....an Ichiro-like posting bid. I can't say that I believe any of this, as I find it hard to imagine that someone didn't bid over $20 million, as hyped as this free agent market is, but I suppose it is possible. If true, the Seibu board will have a tough choice to make today. Do you accept the lowball bid, and count yourself lucky you got anything for Matsuzaka, or do you retract him from the market and allow him to walk in the winter of 2007 for nothing? On one hand, you have cash in hand, but you feel shortchanged. On the other hand, you get the draw of Matsuzaka for another season, a chance at the title, but you risk pissing him off, disappointing a large fan base in two countries, and walking away empty handed next year. Is one more contentious season of Matsuzaka in Seibu blue and white worth $15 million? Only they can answer that, if the rumors are true. Again, I doubt it, but anything is possible.

 

The guy who runs this website is a Yankee fan who lives in Japan.

 

I've been monitoring that site and have to say, I'm disappointed to point out that Matsuzaka is not going to be a FA in the winter of 2007. He will still be under the Lion's control. So, they could retract him from the market and post him again next year (not "allow him to walk in the winter of 2007 for nothing") if they feel that they do not have a satisfactory offer. Which, if the reports that the highest bid is in the 15M range are true (which I do not believe), they could send a message to MLB that if they really want Matsuzaka they can bid next year for 30M. Its a risky move especially because if Matsuzaka gets hurt they will be SOL. Also, the team is in poor financial shape, but I have to believe if its worth 15M more, they might just hold out a year.

 

Couldn't that also backfire on them though. If they retract him this year, he pitches in Japan in 2007, and then they try to post him next year, the teams might just say "screw it, we'll wait until he's a free agent after 2008" or make even lower offers. Not saying this would happen, but it's something to consider.

[Wheelimus]

This year the Seibu's can offer the winning team leverage over Daisuke. If he refuses the clubs offer, he could be forced back to Japan for two whole years.

 

Next season, the bid would be less because Daisuke would have the leverage.

[E.J.]

NY Times[/url]"] Major League Baseball closed its offices last night without hearing from Matsuzaka’s Japanese team, the Seibu Lions, who have been notified of the amount of the highest bid for his negotiating rights.

 

But Patrick Courtney, a spokesman for the commissioner’s office, said baseball officials were awaiting a call from the Lions at any hour. The Lions were expected to accept the bid. When they do, the team that made it will be notified.

 

“It could happen 10 minutes from now or four days from now,” Randy Levine, the Yankees’ president, said yesterday at a news conference on Staten Island. “I can’t comment on any of the specifics. The rules of the Japanese posting process make it a confidential process.”

 

The team that wins Matsuzaka’s rights — with bids possibly reaching $20 million or more — will have 30 days to negotiate a contract with his agent, Scott Boras. The Yankees and the Texas Rangers have acknowledged that they bid. The Mets, the Boston Red Sox, the Chicago Cubs and the Arizona Diamondbacks are other possible bidders.

[VanceJergins]

Man, for some reason I feel like I'll be really disapointed if the Cubs dont get him even though I dont really expect them to.

[nilodnayr]

Matsuzaka Watch[/url]"]Two tabloids are reporting that their is tension at the Seibu offices as a result of a possible low bid. Speculation has been widely made, including here, that the winner may produce upwards of $30 million just to speak with Matsuzaka. These new reports suggest that the amount was substantially lower, and that it may even be half of that....an Ichiro-like posting bid. I can't say that I believe any of this, as I find it hard to imagine that someone didn't bid over $20 million, as hyped as this free agent market is, but I suppose it is possible. If true, the Seibu board will have a tough choice to make today. Do you accept the lowball bid, and count yourself lucky you got anything for Matsuzaka, or do you retract him from the market and allow him to walk in the winter of 2007 for nothing? On one hand, you have cash in hand, but you feel shortchanged. On the other hand, you get the draw of Matsuzaka for another season, a chance at the title, but you risk pissing him off, disappointing a large fan base in two countries, and walking away empty handed next year. Is one more contentious season of Matsuzaka in Seibu blue and white worth $15 million? Only they can answer that, if the rumors are true. Again, I doubt it, but anything is possible.

 

The guy who runs this website is a Yankee fan who lives in Japan.

 

I've been monitoring that site and have to say, I'm disappointed to point out that Matsuzaka is not going to be a FA in the winter of 2007. He will still be under the Lion's control. So, they could retract him from the market and post him again next year (not "allow him to walk in the winter of 2007 for nothing") if they feel that they do not have a satisfactory offer. Which, if the reports that the highest bid is in the 15M range are true (which I do not believe), they could send a message to MLB that if they really want Matsuzaka they can bid next year for 30M. Its a risky move especially because if Matsuzaka gets hurt they will be SOL. Also, the team is in poor financial shape, but I have to believe if its worth 15M more, they might just hold out a year.

 

Couldn't that also backfire on them though. If they retract him this year, he pitches in Japan in 2007, and then they try to post him next year, the teams might just say "screw it, we'll wait until he's a free agent after 2008" or make even lower offers. Not saying this would happen, but it's something to consider.

 

Yeah, just like there is a MLB wide conspiracy and no other teams besides the Giants are going to talk to Bonds' agent (Jon Daniels has already said hes considering Bonds). GMs job is to make their team better. This isn't fantasy baseball. This is a billion dollar industry, and guys jobs are on the line.

[UMFan83]

For the record, I went back to NYYFans and they were told that there is a rumor that the Cubs won the bidding.....

 

 

.....but that rumor was 'reported' on ESPN 1000 :)

[muntjack]

For the record, I went back to NYYFans and they were told that there is a rumor that the Cubs won the bidding.....

 

 

.....but that rumor was 'reported' on ESPN 1000 :)

 

Don't do this to me......

[JWCUB]

For the record, I went back to NYYFans and they were told that there is a rumor that the Cubs won the bidding.....

 

 

.....but that rumor was 'reported' on ESPN 1000 :)

 

Don't do this to me......

 

Well, if it was on ESPN 1000, it would have been all over this board.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

For the record, I went back to NYYFans and they were told that there is a rumor that the Cubs won the bidding.....

 

 

.....but that rumor was 'reported' on ESPN 1000 :)

 

Don't do this to me......

 

Well, if it was on ESPN 1000, it would have been all over this board.

 

Do posters here actually listen to ESPN 1000?

[da bears]

For the record, I went back to NYYFans and they were told that there is a rumor that the Cubs won the bidding.....

 

 

.....but that rumor was 'reported' on ESPN 1000 :)

 

Ahahaha I just went there and some guy posted that New Jersey is the "Uzbekistan of the U.S. and A." (Borat)

[nilodnayr]

For the record, I went back to NYYFans and they were told that there is a rumor that the Cubs won the bidding.....

 

 

.....but that rumor was 'reported' on ESPN 1000 :)

 

Thats some good radio signals if they can get ESPN 1000 in...I think they said they got it on whatever their ESPN station is.

[OBPMatters]

You can "enjoy" ESPN1000 on-line.

[JWCUB]

For the record, I went back to NYYFans and they were told that there is a rumor that the Cubs won the bidding.....

 

 

.....but that rumor was 'reported' on ESPN 1000 :)

 

Don't do this to me......

 

Well, if it was on ESPN 1000, it would have been all over this board.

 

Do posters here actually listen to ESPN 1000?

 

Yep, I do. Better than The Score.

[baseball7897]

For the record, I went back to NYYFans and they were told that there is a rumor that the Cubs won the bidding.....

 

 

.....but that rumor was 'reported' on ESPN 1000 :)

 

Don't do this to me......

 

Well, if it was on ESPN 1000, it would have been all over this board.

 

Do posters here actually listen to ESPN 1000?

 

Yep, I do. Better than The Score.

 

Anything is better than the score.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Better than The Score.

 

What is a swift kick to the sack? I'll take The Obvious for $1000.

[XZero771679666304]

For the record, I went back to NYYFans and they were told that there is a rumor that the Cubs won the bidding.....

 

 

.....but that rumor was 'reported' on ESPN 1000 :)

 

Don't do this to me......

 

Well, if it was on ESPN 1000, it would have been all over this board.

 

Do posters here actually listen to ESPN 1000?

 

Yep, I do. Better than The Score.

 

Anything is better than the score.

 

Listening to the Score is equivalent to having an audio lobotomy.

[UMFan83]

Before this gets any further, I posted about the ESPN 1000 thing to show that this rumor is likely fabricated. Its just fishy that the first rumor (to Cubs fans) was heard on a NY station, then the second rumor (to Yankees fans) was heard on a Chicago station

[Warpticon]

Watching ESPN...and already sick of hearing him called Die-SOOkie.

[nilodnayr]

Watching ESPN...and already sick of hearing him called Die-SOOkie.

 

Soriano

 

 

Zito

Schmidt

Lee

Mats

 

:pukel:

[questionmarkgrace]

if those rumors were really being broadcast on Espn radio stations another site like espn.com or rotoworld would have picked it up.

[snoodmonger]

i'm trying to do work, and it's very difficult right now.

[soccer10k]

i'm trying to do work, and it's very difficult right now.

 

Same here although I'm waiting for the late hockey and basketball games to be done so I can put the updated standings into the paper.

[sonicdethmonkey0]

ARGH just tell us the cubs didn't get him so i can continue my miserable existence as a cub fan

[Warpticon]

Watching ESPN...and already sick of hearing him called Die-SOOkie.

 

Soriano

 

 

Zito

Schmidt

Lee

Mats

 

:pukel:

 

I have no idea what this is.