Matsuzaka: Red Sox Win w/ $51.1M Bid

[C.C.]

MY friend just heard that Buster Onley said that the Red Sox won the bid for MATSUZAKA!

[RichHillIsABeast]

MY friend just heard that Buster Onley said that the Red Sox won the bid for MATSUZAKA!

 

That would be sweet. I hate the Yankees. Anything to put a twist in their undies.

[Wheelimus]

Of course, losing out on Matsuzaka probably means that one of Zito or Schmidt is going to New York, unless they do the Clemitte combo.

[JWCUB]

Was just on ESPN, Buster Olny thinks the Red Sox won the bid, with a bid of between 38 and 45mm.

[mg420]

if it's true, good for the sox. we will know about aram tomorrow and the cubs can focus their efforts on iwaga, roberts & iwamura.

[Wheelimus]

Maybe that's why it's taking so long, the Seibu owners had to get their eyes surgically put back in their sockets...

[ZMovieman]

Was just on ESPN, Buster Olny thinks the Red Sox won the bid, with a bid of between 38 and 45mm.

 

Wow. If that's the case, then there's nothing to see here. That being said, take the money that was going to the bid and put it into Schmidt.

[Outshined_One]

Was just on ESPN, Buster Olny thinks the Red Sox won the bid, with a bid of between 38 and 45mm.

 

That's borderline insane.

 

Wow.

[TheDude]

The offseason doesn't ride on Matsuzaka.

 

i disagree.

 

to me, it doesn't seem like there is a great option out there for the Cubs to improve their offense. Soriano and Lee definitely can produce, but they both have the potential to be mediocre, and both will likely be highly overpaid. sure, last year was a stellar year for Soriano, but can he keep up his patience at the plate? i sure hope so, for the ridiculous amount of money he's sure to command. as far as Lee goes, i think he'd be a solid pickup, but where do you play him? he's certainly not going to platoon with Jock, and i sure hope he isn't going to take away playing time from a developing Murton. Drew is apparently available, and although i believe he's the best option for the Cubs this offseason, i'm not convinced he'll be a target of Hendry's, despite being exactly what this club needs.

 

the free agent pitching market has even more questions. Schmidt is getting up there in age, and i believe that Zito is a serious risk to have an ERA in the 4.50 range next year as well. don't get me wrong -- i love Zito, and between him and Schmidt, i think i'd rather have Zito. but still, they have significant question marks to me.

 

Matsuzaka is only 26, he has an established track record as a dominating pitcher in Japan, and he will be a young, exciting player that i believe will be a force for many years. sure, he could potentially be a bust, but after watching him pitch in the WBC and following this whole "posting" process, i really believe he is the premier free agent this offseason. the Cubs were terrible offensively and on the mound last year, and Matsuzaka would look great as the number 2 pitcher behind our boy Zambrano. if Hendry has money to burn this offseason, i'd much rather see him burn it on Matsuzaka rather than Soriano or Lee, and i'm going to be disappointed if the Cubs don't make a very serious bid to acquire him. i honestly don't believe they'll get him, but i can hope, dammit, i can hope.

 

EDIT: oh yeah, we really really really REALLY need to re-sign Ramirez. but that's obvious.

 

So how is it that all these established star free agents you named have question marks, but a Japanese player with zero MLB experience doesn't?

 

Eveyone expects Matsuzaka to be good, me included, but it is not a given. IMO Zito and Schmidt are more predictable for production than Matsuzaka.

 

Matsuzaka has just as many question marks as anybody else, and see zero reason to bank the entire offseason on him.

[CubColtPacer]

Yeah, if they bid that-then good luck to them-I won't be upset at all if the Cubs lose out to a bid like that, because I never would want the Cubs to go quite that high for him.

[TheDude]

Maybe that's why it's taking so long, the Seibu owners had to get their eyes surgically put back in their sockets...

 

Or they could be gauging whether the bid is real. A bid that high might be a stall tactic, with zero real intention.

 

I hope that is not the case, because that could put some serious tension on the entire posting process.

[Wheelimus]

And with Scott Boras as the agent, I wouldn't blink to see the total contract wind up being 5/100, when you include the posting fee.

 

[expletive] insane. Pay Schmidt whatever it takes instead.

[Roast]

45 million? Just to TALK to him?

 

Have fun in Boston, Matswhatevera

[Mephistopheles]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2656687

 

jesus

[goonys evil twin]

So how is it that all these established star free agents you named have question marks, but a Japanese player with zero MLB experience doesn't?

 

Eveyone expects Matsuzaka to be good, me included, but it is not a given. IMO Zito and Schmidt are more predictable for production than Matsuzaka.

 

Matsuzaka has just as many question marks as anybody else, and see zero reason to bank the entire offseason on him.

 

I agree. He's hardly the only option, and he's clearly no more of a sure thing than others.

[JWCUB]

I want Theo as our GM. :evil:

[goonys evil twin]

I want Theo as our GM. :evil:

 

Theo isn't the one putting up $45 million. That would be an ownership decision.

[tgk]

Didn't the Red Sox owner call the Yankees "the Evil Empire" because they could buy whatever they wanted?

 

Looks like they have gone over to the dark side.

 

 

*Edited because my wife is teacher and she'd be quite unhappy with my omission.

Edited November 10, 2006 by tgk

[Bruno7481]

So how is it that all these established star free agents you named have question marks, but a Japanese player with zero MLB experience doesn't?

 

Eveyone expects Matsuzaka to be good, me included, but it is not a given. IMO Zito and Schmidt are more predictable for production than Matsuzaka.

 

Matsuzaka has just as many question marks as anybody else, and see zero reason to bank the entire offseason on him.

 

I agree. He's hardly the only option, and he's clearly no more of a sure thing than others.

 

Couldn't agree more. Everyone has got so caught up in this. He is very talented, but hardly a sure thing. The money it would take (posting fee + contract) isn't worth it.

 

Wish him well still the same.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I have a few things I'd like to interject. All of this supposition with no actual basis in anything but my imagination and taken with some of the info or rumors we have heard.

 

1. Why is the process taking so long?

 

We heard a lot about tampering. Maybe a team did have an under the table agreement with a team that would allow them to bid say a figure of 25 or 30 million but not pay the whole amount. Seibu may have known what the figure was and were waiting to get that figure in order to accept in accordance with their under-the-table agreement. Suddenly, another team outbids that figure and Seibu knows it. Maybe they liked the other terms better than money and now are struggling with what to do.

 

2. Are the Red Sox serious?

 

Maybe there is some concern the Red Sox aren't serious about signing him. Maybe there is concerns that the Red Sox plan to low-ball Matsuzaka with a contract, knowing he'll either take it or at worst, he won't be a Yankee.

[da bears]

Yeah, if they bid that-then good luck to them-I won't be upset at all if the Cubs lose out to a bid like that, because I never would want the Cubs to go quite that high for him.

 

Exactly. If they lost out at around $20-25 mil, I might be a little upset. But that number is just insane.

[b_wiggy_66]

That's insane if true. Better get ready to sign Zito. By the way Gammons said an interesting stat on Zito last night. He hasn't missed a start since his junior year of high school, and he has never had a losing record. Maybe we should bring him in.

[JWCUB]

I want Theo as our GM. :evil:

 

Theo isn't the one putting up $45 million. That would be an ownership decision.

 

Right........you pick: Theo or JH?

 

I'm not sayin, I'm just sayin.

[Backtobanks]

That's insane if true. Better get ready to sign Zito. By the way Gammons said an interesting stat on Zito last night. He hasn't missed a start since his junior year of high school, and he has never had a losing record. Maybe we should bring him in.

 

 

Wait until the Cubs sign him.

[da bears]

With a bid like that I hope Boston has to ante up big time now for the contract.