SI and ESPN report Matsuzaka signs for 6/52

[Cubzfan64]

Just something interesting to add to the mix - this is a quote from the morning's Houston Chronicle:

 

"One of my best baseball sources says the Red Sox have made the most impressive pitch to Clemens, offering him the opportunity to have a contract much like the one the Astros gave him. He'll be able to pitch, work out on his own, attend family functions and arrive late to the roster. One difference: Rather than a half-season, Roger will pitch for slightly more — close to two-thirds of the season.

 

The only unknown is whether the Sox' ongoing negotiations with Japanese sensation Daisuke Matsuzaka will impact the money the Red Sox will offer Clemens. That's TBA.

 

But I would guess Clemens will be in Boston to finish his career, exactly where he began it."

 

If I had to guess, I'd say Matsuzaka will sign for an even $10mil per year for 6 years. I'm actually pretty surprised that Boras agreed to a 6 year contract for him - if he performs to the level of a #2 starter or above, $10mil per year will be a very good contract for Boston for that long of a term. I fully expected Boras to be negotiable on the $, but be intent on making it a 2-3 year contract instead.

 

Something's gotta give very soon here. On the other hand, Boston has to be looking to make a trade for a closer as well - if they sign Matsuzaka, they're gonna have an awful lot of starters (Papelbon, Schilling, Beckett, Wakefield, Lester and Matsuzaka) - if they actually decide to add Clemens to the mix as well, that gives them 7. The only one they could realistically put in the bullpen is Wakefield and that still leaves them without a closer.

 

There's certain to be more moves in Boston before the season starts no matter what happens here I think.

[Danny82]

Something's gotta give very soon here. On the other hand, Boston has to be looking to make a trade for a closer as well - if they sign Matsuzaka, they're gonna have an awful lot of starters (Papelbon, Schilling, Beckett, Wakefield, Lester and Matsuzaka) - if they actually decide to add Clemens to the mix as well, that gives them 7. The only one they could realistically put in the bullpen is Wakefield and that still leaves them without a closer.

Why can't they put Papelbon back in the bullpen if they have too many starters?

[cbbryan]

WFAN is reporting that Mr. Henry's plane is in route to Boston w/ Matsuzaka AND Boris.

 

One can assume that a deal is either done, or very close to done. Physical should be today.

[Burtonbell]

Red Sox head to Boston with Matsuzaka

 

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061213/ap_on_sp_ba_ne/bba_red_sox_matsuzaka

[Cubzfan64]

Something's gotta give very soon here. On the other hand, Boston has to be looking to make a trade for a closer as well - if they sign Matsuzaka, they're gonna have an awful lot of starters (Papelbon, Schilling, Beckett, Wakefield, Lester and Matsuzaka) - if they actually decide to add Clemens to the mix as well, that gives them 7. The only one they could realistically put in the bullpen is Wakefield and that still leaves them without a closer.

Why can't they put Papelbon back in the bullpen if they have too many starters?

 

The Red Sox will not put him back in the bullpen due to his arm troubles at the end of last season. The general concensus is that the work a closer has to do was damaging his throwing arm.

[Cubzfan64]

Red Sox head to Boston with Matsuzaka

 

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061213/ap_on_sp_ba_ne/bba_red_sox_matsuzaka

 

Confirmed here also on Boston Radio and the sources in Boston Herald - a deal is either done or very close and will be complete in the air on the way to Boston.

[RichHillIsABeast]

Good news. I really want to see this guy pitch, even if it's not for the Cubs.

[goonys evil twin]

I'd really like to see Boston charge Boras for his seat on the plane.

[RynoRules]

I think this whole thing has a sort of farcical quality to it, like the Zucker brothers doing a mob movie:

 

"You can get on Mr. Henry's private plane if we have a deal; if not, we are sending you back to Osaka, my fr-ent.

[Warren Brusstar]

Yawn.

 

Anyone that is even slightly surprised by this "sudden" progress toward an agreement doesn't really understand how a good agent operates. In the end, Boras will have successfully gotten Boston to pay far more than they originally intended.

 

Quite simply, he's very good.

[E.J.]

Got this link off of SOSH. Apparently, it's the flight with the Red Sox and Matsuzaka. How freaky is it that you can get this type of information?

 

 

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N611JW

[goonys evil twin]

Got this link off of SOSH. Apparently, it's the flight with the Red Sox and Matsuzaka. How freaky is it that you can get this type of information?

 

 

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N611JW

 

I don't find it that freaky. I've used services like that to track people's flights for years.

[goonys evil twin]

SI is reporting 6/52, which is a very fair deal in my opinion. Total cost to Boston is 17.2m per for 6 years (counting posting fee). I wonder if Boras got a kick back from Seibu, if not, that is 8.7m per year.

[abuck1220]

Yawn.

 

Anyone that is even slightly surprised by this "sudden" progress toward an agreement doesn't really understand how a good agent operates. In the end, Boras will have successfully gotten Boston to pay far more than they originally intended.

 

Quite simply, he's very good.

 

thanks for the explanation.

[Vinestal]

SI is reporting 6/52, which is a very fair deal in my opinion. Total cost to Boston is 17.2m per for 6 years (counting posting fee). I wonder if Boras got a kick back from Seibu, if not, that is 8.7m per year.

 

He's losing some of money for security I guess. Alot of people would argue that giving a 6 year deal to a pitcher is insane. You think Kerry Wood was abused? This guy was pitching 160 pitches and then throwing a bulpen session afterwards (thats what they were saying on XM this morning). He also has alot of other odd routines, like he doesnt ice his shoulder. I wonder if they will allow him to continue training in the manner that he has or if they will try to conform him to what all the other Boston pitchers do. I wonder if throwing less pitches for him will make him less sharp or if the change in routine will negatively effect him. 6 years is alot to commit for a pitcher.

Edited December 13, 2006 by Vinestal

[OleMissCub]

SI is reporting 6/52, which is a very fair deal in my opinion. Total cost to Boston is 17.2m per for 6 years (counting posting fee). I wonder if Boras got a kick back from Seibu, if not, that is 8.7m per year.

 

figuring in the total cost makes it 17 mil a year, for an unproven commodity. That's too much to pay IMO. I mean, 17 mil makes him the highest paid pitcher in baseball, I think.

[Vinestal]

SI is reporting 6/52, which is a very fair deal in my opinion. Total cost to Boston is 17.2m per for 6 years (counting posting fee). I wonder if Boras got a kick back from Seibu, if not, that is 8.7m per year.

 

figuring in the total cost makes it 17 mil a year, for an unproven commodity. That's too much to pay IMO. I mean, 17 mil makes him the highest paid pitcher in baseball, I think.

 

Mats is not likely to see any of that 51 million dollar posting fee. They paid the 51 million simply to negociate the contract. You can argue the posting fee was ridiculous, but the contract itself will probably turn out to be a bargin, barring injury.

[OleMissCub]

SI is reporting 6/52, which is a very fair deal in my opinion. Total cost to Boston is 17.2m per for 6 years (counting posting fee). I wonder if Boras got a kick back from Seibu, if not, that is 8.7m per year.

 

figuring in the total cost makes it 17 mil a year, for an unproven commodity. That's too much to pay IMO. I mean, 17 mil makes him the highest paid pitcher in baseball, I think.

 

Mats is not likely to see any of that 51 million dollar posting fee. They paid the 51 million simply to negociate the contract. You can argue the posting fee was ridiculous, but the contract itself will probably turn out to be a bargin, barring injury.

 

The contract isn't a bargain if you factor in the negotiating fee. Sure, Mats personally is only going to get 8.7 a year, but the Red Sox are basically paying 17m a year, if you factor it that way.

[cubweiser03]

SI is reporting 6/52, which is a very fair deal in my opinion. Total cost to Boston is 17.2m per for 6 years (counting posting fee). I wonder if Boras got a kick back from Seibu, if not, that is 8.7m per year.

 

figuring in the total cost makes it 17 mil a year, for an unproven commodity. That's too much to pay IMO. I mean, 17 mil makes him the highest paid pitcher in baseball, I think.

 

Mats is not likely to see any of that 51 million dollar posting fee. They paid the 51 million simply to negociate the contract. You can argue the posting fee was ridiculous, but the contract itself will probably turn out to be a bargin, barring injury.

 

The contract isn't a bargain if you factor in the negotiating fee. Sure, Mats personally is only going to get 8.7 a year, but the Red Sox are basically paying 17m a year, if you factor it that way.

 

Or $33M+ a year for the first 2 years. Really thats what they did. They bought out the 2 years before he hit the free agency market. Yeah, either way you look at its a ton of $.

[goonys evil twin]

SI is reporting 6/52, which is a very fair deal in my opinion. Total cost to Boston is 17.2m per for 6 years (counting posting fee). I wonder if Boras got a kick back from Seibu, if not, that is 8.7m per year.

 

figuring in the total cost makes it 17 mil a year, for an unproven commodity. That's too much to pay IMO. I mean, 17 mil makes him the highest paid pitcher in baseball, I think.

 

Clemens likely will make more, and Zito might as well. And the fact is he's not getting 17m, he's getting under 9. 51m of that was akin to the money a team spends to develop their own guys and keep their rights for a long time. Yes, it's much more expensive than that normally costs, but this isn't a normal situation. Plus, Boston is a team that's willing to spend $150+ million on its payroll, and that figure will only go up. His percentage of Boston's pie is only slightly more than Lilly's percentage of the Cubs (and much less than Meche's slice of KC's).

 

It's all relative. At least he has a legit chance to be truly great. Big market teams can afford to overpay for that opportunity.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Here's the link to the SI article where Heyman claims it is a 6/52 deal with escalators that can take it to 60 million.

[Cubzfan64]

I won't argue the fact that the $51mil was a HUGE and probably obscene amount of money to pay just to have sole negotiating rights with someone who has never pitched in MLB.

 

On the other hand this whole deal of getting Matsuzaka wasn't done in a vacuum - it has alot of branches. From a business standpoint, I fully believe the Red Sox have evaluated this from all aspects and believe they will recoup at least a portion of that $51mil via marketing and promotional ideas in both the US and Japan (assuming of course that Matsuzaka performs to the level they are hoping).

 

I heard a rumor on the Boston radio this morning that an idea for a "reality show" akin to the one where they followed Barry Bonds around for awhile has already been discussed where they do a show on Matsuzaka during his first year and market it to Japan.

 

Not to mention the fact that if the relationship goes well between the two parties, it puts Boston in a good light in the asian baseball market which could help them further down the road.

[goonys evil twin]

Not to mention the fact that if the relationship goes well between the two parties, it puts Boston in a good light in the asian baseball market which could help them further down the road.

 

The price being paid is definitely influenced by the fact that this signing is more of an investment in an asset than most other signings.

[RynoRules]

Got this link off of SOSH. Apparently, it's the flight with the Red Sox and Matsuzaka. How freaky is it that you can get this type of information?

 

 

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N611JW

 

I don't find it that freaky. I've used services like that to track people's flights for years.

 

I don't care what you say - its freaky.

[TheDude]

Thread title change? If this isn't a done deal, it's close. Some sources are claiming a done deal, like SI.