Matsuzaka to the Red Sox

[RyDogg66]

Since this is being reported as "rumor" I posted it here.

 

sports.espn.go.com/mlb/ne...id=2656687

 

But it says the Sox may have won with a bid of 40 million. Now they need to sign him.

[trwi7]

That's ridiculous. $40 million just to talk to a free agent.

[Brian the Automator]

I know.... I generally pay $4.99 to talk to someone for the first minute, then $2.99 each additional minute.

[RyDogg66]

Well, The Yankees paid Carl Pavano 40 million to talk to the team trainer for 4 years. So I guess this is the going rate.

[trwi7]

Quote:

---

Well, The Yankees paid Carl Pavano 40 million to talk to the team trainer for 4 years. So I guess this is the going rate.

---

 

http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/roll.gif http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/roll.gif

[splitterpfj]

This makes me wonder how much a team could get for a proven MLB starter right now.

[vacin8r]

the way i understand it, if the winning bid team does not sign the player they get their posting fee back. what i wonder... with a bid this high(assuming the report is true) could the sox then lowball matsuzaka not caring if they sign him or not. worst case scenario they gave a no interest 30 day 40mil loan to the lions in exchange for guaranteeing that he wont be a yankee.

-Don

[colbyjack]

I'm sure the Red Sox have every intent of signing Matsuzaka. They need the help in their starting rotation, which could be dramatically improved when & if they do sign him since Papelbon is also moving to the bullpen next season.

[vacin8r]

oh yes im sure they want to sign him. but my point in the previous post was to rebute the fact that they now need to sign him. the 40mil is not non-refundable. if anything in these posting deals, i think the advantage should be to the team more than the player. the teams choices are sign him or be out nothing. the players choices are sign or go back to playing in japan for peanuts. 2 questions also came to my mind though:

1)does the posting fee count against the luxury tax in any way?

2)if not, why dont the major market teams just acquire every big name japanese player. worst case scenario perhaps they could trade the signing rights to another team for something they actually need.(i actually have no clue if these rights can be traded, im just speculating)

-Don

[TooLiveBrew]

I don't think this is going to be the 'Screw Matsuzaka to screw the Yankees' move that's being discussed.

 

"Let's say the Red Sox did bid that much. Why is Seibu taking so long to accept? Japanese reporters believe that the winning bid was far lower than expected and Seibu is deciding whether it is worth letting Matsuzaka go."

 

-- From Yankee beat writer Peter Abraham's Blog

 

www.lohud.com/blogs/lohudyankees.html

 

Abraham points out:

 

"Screamin' A. Smith went on ESPN Radio and tried to make that into a scoop. No confirmation, no sources, no word from Japan. Screamin' A. Smith? Please."

[brettac1]

The Sox should have had Papelbon in the rotation at the start of this year, I think, but now with Matsuzaka and Papelbon complementing Schilling, they should be decent in the first three spots in the rotation. Wakefield is coming back, too, and they have Beckett as the highest-paid #5 starter in the league.

[pitchleague]

If the Sox do give a low offer and Matsuzaka doesn't sign, the Sox get their posting fee back. But what happens then? Does he get to post again? Does he just go back to Japan?

[trwi7]

He goes back to Japan.

[dadofandrew]

I'm all but certain the posting fee is non-refundable. A team like BOS pretty much has to sign the player or lose a huge chunk of change. I'm sure they have discussed it with his agent and have the number in mind.

[trwi7]

Quote:

---

I'm all but certain the posting fee is non-refundable. A team like BOS pretty much has to sign the player or lose a huge chunk of change. I'm sure they have discussed it with his agent and have the number in mind.

---

 

No they get their money back if they don't sign him. They bid because Seibu would get compensation for losing a player. If an agreement can't be reached Matsuzaka would go back to Seibu and the money would go back to the Red Sox since Seibu didn't actually lose Matsuzaka.

[brettac1]

They get the cash back.

Matsuzaka would become a full-fledged FA next year, though, I believe.

[mothershipconnection]

Matsuzaka would become a full-fledged FA next year, though, I believe.

With that considered, they can pick which team's bid to accept, correct? That is, if someone offered a few million more, but they thought #2 or 3 was more likely to sign him, they could accept the lower bid to get a better chance at receiving the money. If I were in their shoes and the Yankees were within a few mil of the top bid, I'd take their bid because you are guaranteed they aren't shy of Boras clients and will sign him. Also, this is assuming they know which team makes which bid and can select.

[reillymcshane]

Ken Rosenthal is saying that the Sox might not intend to sign Matsuzka - forcing him back to Japan - and keeping him from the Yankees.

 

Story

 

A quote:

 

One rival executive says flatly that the Red Sox could not come up with such a sum for Matsuzka's Japanese team, the Seibu Lions, within the prescribed 35-day limit.

 

His other theory is that the Sox will try and lowball Matsuzka - say 3 years/$21 million. Or 6 years/$60 million.

 

If the Sox don't intend to negotiate in 'good faith', he said the commish could intervene and re-award him to the next bidder.

 

Let the mind games begin!

[brettac1]

With that considered, they can pick which team's bid to accept, correct?

 

It'd be the same as say an American guy who went there and came back - he's free to sign with the highest bidder if he so chooses. I believe the posting thing only happens once.

[mothershipconnection]

It'd be the same as say an American guy who went there and came back - he's free to sign with the highest bidder if he so chooses. I believe the posting thing only happens once.

I'm talking about the Seibu Lions. I wanted to confirm that their front office has the right to choose which bid they want to accept, and aren't forced to simply choose the highest bid if they feel that team won't sign him and pay the bidding price.

[Cyanogen5]

I believe the Seibu Lions don't actually know which team was the highest bidder. I was reading something last Friday...I will look for the link later...that stated that MLB collects the bids and only forwards the highest bid...and only the monetary value...to the Japanese team. I guess that is to make sure favorites aren't played.

[hauser42]

know.... I generally pay $4.99 to talk to someone for the first minute, then $2.99 each additional minute.

-----

 

You need to shop around for better prices.

 

 

I can see the Sox doing this as they need to beat the Yanks and pitching depth is needed on the Sox team.

[cooprules]

WEEI (Peter Gammons) is reporting Red Sox were the highest bidder at 42 million.

[thefutureishere2006]

thank god he isn''t gonna be a yankee (crosses fingers)

[Team Canada]

So 75% of the Brewers payroll was just spent for the right to pay someone millions of dollars.

 

 

I love baseball.