Matsuzaka posted

I'm hoping that the M's go after Matsuzaka, but given the "dire straits" of the Yankees these days, the Boss will probably pay more for his rights. Then again, the last time Steinbrenner put his trust in a Japanese pitcher, he failed rather miserably (Irabu).

By the way, my condolences for Corey Lidle's family after his tragic death from the plane crash.

- I'm hoping that the M's go after Matsuzaka, but given the "dire straits" of the Yankees these days, the Boss will probably pay more for his rights.

I think you're selling Seattle's ownership group a little short. Remember who Seattle is owned by, Nintendo. Nintendo is one of Japan's biggest companies, and their former owner, Hiroshi Yamauchi, has been very influential and successful in signing big-name Japanese talent: Kaz Sasaki, Ichiro, and Johjima. Yamauchi again will be very influential this time.

I wonder how much the winning bid will be? Rumors are circulating about it being $20m+. Seattle certainly has the money, as well as the Yanks, Mets, BoSox, (and Dodgers?) but who's willing to play chicken against George?

I'd have to put my money on the Yankees in this horse-race, unfortunately. Steinbrenner will be pretty gonzo to get young quality pitching, his team having been trounced in the ALDS on the aging arms of Mike Mussina, Randy Johnson, et al. Corey Lidle was not a big part of the Yankees staff, but it's a loss of a hard-working and enthusiastic player (in a manner that will be sadly recalled for a long time). Irabu's fiasco is pretty well forgotten by now, and in any case Matsui's success has long since negated any qualms George might have about signing Japanese players.

My heart wishes dearly that Matsuzaka join Johjima and Ichiro at Safeco, and I'll keep my fingers crossed - but I fear the money and allure of Yankee pinstripes will draw Daisuke inexorably Bronxward come springtime.

I would like to see him go to the Mets, as I am a Mets fan.

The Mets will definitely be in the running. He who pays the most to Seibu wins. I suspect the Evil Empire will buy him, however.

I agree that the Evil Empire is most likely, sickening as that is.

Here's some poop from the sensationalist New York Post. Boras is spinning his web, saying Matsuzaka doesn't have to play this year in MLB if he doesn't get the big bucks. He speculates that he might not sign even with the 30 day window. If he doesn't sign, does the MLB team get the posting money back?

Consensus over here is what you all know, he's an ichiban pitcher. There is talk in the article that some team might post over $30 million. It will be interesting with Boras as the ringmaster.

- He speculates that he might not sign even with the 30 day window. If he doesn't sign, does the MLB team get the posting money back?

Yes, if Matsuzaka doesn't sign in 30 days, the MLB team gets the posting money back. Otherwise, if both sides (Matsuzaka and the MLB team) don't sign within 30 days, Matsuzaka will not be posted.

The negotiations between Seibu and the MLB club won't be affected by Boras, as he has no power between the two. Though afterwards Boras will have an effect.

- Though afterwards Boras will have an effect.

You're just going to leave us hanging after a teaser like that?! What will the effects be?

He's referring to the subsequent negotiations between Matsuzaka and the MLB club that wins the bidding.

Boras will make sure that, whatever team acquires the negotiation rights with Matsuzaka, the contract talks will go through the roof to the best of Boras' ability. The contract talks will be interesting with Boras pulling shots.

Thanks (to everyone) for that.

Boras' effect will be a very painful, aching, squeezing sensation which will be most unpleasant on a team's ownership. If Matsuzaka balks at signing, the pain will be the same.

That's a relief that the posting money is refundable if the sides don't come to terms. I therefore expect that the posting bidding will be robust.

Boras is a complete mercenary and will manipulate both sides in getting a superior financial offer signed. He will play both the owner and his client, if necessary. One thing is certain, IMHO, Matsuzaka-san will be a very rich man if he decides to sign. He will get at least 5 years/$75M, maybe up to $85M. Several teams are hungry for an ace.

As for the post on Boras being close to Omar Minaya and the Mets, all I have to say is that Boras is close to anyone with a fat and open wallet.

One last thing is for certain, IMHO, Matsuzaka will play in MLB next season, and will have no real choice who he will play for. Boras will not let him go back to NPB for free agency this year and risk injury in Japan to his new cash cow.

I do not doubt Boras' negotiating skills. However, assuming Matsuzaka (and Boras) won't go back to Japan, I disagree that Matsuzaka will get a huge contract. Their negotiating position is weak at best. The only leverage Boras has is the threat of Daisuke returning to Japan.

Here's why: Most, if not all, of the big name free agent pitchers in the U.S. will still be free agents at the conclusion of the 30 day negotiating window. The three day posting period occurs in early November (from what I've read). Then the winning bidder has 30 days to negotiate. Assuming these 30 days begin fairly promptly, it should all be wrapped up by mid-December at the latest.

As such, the winning bidder for Daisuke's posting could just turn around and use that money to sign Zito, Schmidt, or another free agent.

Maybe so, one never knows. But Boras is the man who got Magglio Ordonez a multi-year deal at $15M per year from the Tigers, coming off a very serious surgery, when few teams wanted the risk. If the offers are low, I will amend my prior statement that he will have Matsuzaka wait for complete free agency. He does not want his new client short-changed, or his fee reduced.

The extent of the posting fee will have a stronger impact on his pay than Boras' negotiating skills, I believe. Matsuzaka may very well set the market for top drawer for ace signings in 2007.

The flaw in your conclusion is that Matsuzaka is much better than Zito, Schmidt, or most other free agents available.

It's now official. Matsuzaka is posted [Yahoo! News].

Let the bidding war begin!

It's official. Seattle is out of the running for the Big John Henry Matsuzaka auction!

This is a bit of a surprise considering the passionate and emphatic statements by fans on this board regarding the M's Japan connection. The article says the Nintendo Chairman personally nixed participation. Does he know something others don't, is it a smokescreen, or are economics in play here? It looks like the two New York teams and the Dodgers are in the running.

I'm disappointed, but it also would've cost a ton of money. I just hope the Mariners go after both Igawa and Kuroda now. I don't want to keep going to games in which Washburn and others start. Maybe if Felix throws well, I could have fun watching his starts.

Guess this means I need to buy that MLB.tv package to see Matsuzaka's starts next year.

According to the Riverside Press Enterprise, "Colletti said he doesn't expect the Dodgers to enter the bidding for Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, who was officially put up for sale Thursday by the Seibu Lions of Japan's Pacific League."

Looks like it's the Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Rangers, Orioles, and Cubs in the running.

The Newark Star Ledger reported an interesting tidbit. I was wondering if anyone here had heard of this happening:

But there may be loopholes. It can be in the Japanese team's best interest for the winning bid to come from a team with which the player wants to sign, since that is the only way the Japanese team gets money. So a Japanese team could make an under-the-table deal with a U.S. team in which only a portion of the winning bid would have to be paid.

When the Seattle Mariners won the rights to sign Ichiro Suzuki in 2000, there were rumors they paid just $4 million of the $13 million winning bid to the Orix Blue Wave [stet].

Yeah, it will be a show alright. More likely the Yankees show now, as Seattle officially bowed out of the race for whatever reason, as the official order not to bid for Matsuzaka came from none other than Yamauchi. One has to question Seattle management.

I only see the Mets and Boston being able to compete with the Yankees dollar-to-dollar now. Also, with the current rotation situation for both teams, both could use the help badly. Though it's all but a certainty now with Seattle out of the bidding. Like the Moody Blues song says, Isn't life strange? It indeed is this off-season.

Talks are Hanshin is easing their grip on Igawa and Seattle could go for him, and also reports are suggesting that Yamauchi is ordering the Mariners to go after Kuroda. Who knows in this off-season?

I suspect (grrrrr) the Skanks will win the rights to Matsuzaka. They care more about the Sox improving than their cross town rivals getting him. They surely have the resources, and he'll look good in pinstripes at least. The Mets are being non-committal about how they will participate in the auction. I don't think the Dodgers will have the money it will take.

There was talk earlier of collusion between Yamauchi and the bidding, to rig the auction for the M's. I wonder if there will be collusion amongst the remaining teams to keep the auction reasonable? It has happened in the past in the free agent market. Of course, if the price is moderate, the M's could get tipped and could jump in. That's if you believe in conspiracy theories.

Lastly, I don't blame M's management at all. They clearly take their orders from Yamauchi. He may see better value and less risk with the other two pitchers suggested. I hope he is a baseball man.

Finally, kudos to David Wright!

Is it at all possible that the Mariners made the announcement that they will not be bidding for Matsuzaka so that potential bidders lower their bids? I would think this would be a very easy way to lower the bids of competing teams by at least a couple million dollars as Seattle and the New York teams were always favored in winning the bid.

The Yankees? No kidding! I've said all along that Matsuzaka would likely end up with the Yankees, but for some reason you attacked me when I wrote that. With Scott Boras on board, it's clear that only the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, or the Cubs probably have the money to go after Matsuzaka. That's why I kept saying that Matsuzaka would likely end up in navy blue pinstripes. I never said that he would definitely end up in the Bronx - I only said that the chances were likely.

I never attacked you when you said Matsuzaka would end up in New York, I've been saying for months it would either be New York or Seattle.

Since Nintendo had the history of going after big-name Japanese players, and the rumor to it was perfectly fit to say he could of ended up there. However, it appears that Yamauchi knows something we don't as he decided to keep Seattle out of the bidding. Or maybe he intends to go after Igawa, who looks like he will be posted now and/or Hiroki Kuroda.

Now we all know, George will spend a lot of money, no one is doubting that. I haven't from day 1. What I'm sick of is the media saying he will end up here or there. Man, I can listen to the song "Here, There, and Everywhere" if I want to listen to that. It wasn't a certainty that Matsuzaka end up with the Yankees. It's likely, but not a certainty.

Go vent somewhere else, I never attacked you. Don't try and act like I attacked you and your opinions. I've been annoyed with the press and their constant distortions and fallacies made by the media. I never said he couldn't be there. I challenge you to find one instance where I said he couldn't be a Yankee? You won't find any instance. All I said is it isn't a certainty. Even though chances are high, it by no ways a slam-dunk. This isn't free agency we're talking about here, you would have a point there, but it isn't.

Well, since Officer Joe Bolton didn't like my last post, I'd like to ask if anyone has heard of the attempted tampering by some MLB teams in the Matsuzaka auction. It was reported, I read, in a Japanese paper. The report was floated by a Seibu executive.

Yeah, according to Sankei Sports, there was a tampering charge reported by a Seibu official. The official charged that three un-named MLB teams attempted to acquire Matsuzaka with under-the-table negotiations. [Newark Star-Ledger]

There's an interesting article in the New York Daily News today about Matsuzaka's career and life in general.

How times have changed. Sunday morning used to be coffee with a thick Sunday paper. Now, coffee in front of my computer surfing through lots of papers. Here's an interesting spin on why Seattle and the Dodgers have dropped out from the New York Times:

Boras has tried to give Matsuzaka some control over his destination. The Seattle Mariners said last week that they would not make a bid, without stating a reason. The Los Angeles Dodgers also publicly dropped out, citing the cost.

Boras would not say so directly, but he might have let those teams know that Matsuzaka did not want to play for them.

"We've been candid with teams about where we would want to go, or more importantly where we would not want to go," Boras said. "And you've probably seen the response to that."

There was also mention of the rumor that the Ms never paid for Ichiro and a quote from a Japanese league official that the posting process is, I'll say ... flawed.

Source: New York Times [registration required]

Says Jim Allen, a baseball writer for the Tokyo-based Daily Yomiuri newspaper: "He was 9 years old when Hideo Nomo went to the majors. So he represents this generation of players who grew up watching Japanese players on television in the major leagues."

What kind of math did Jim Allen learn in school?

Uhhh, maybe Jim Allen thinks Matsuzaka is 20 years old? Nomo came over to MLB in 1995.

Matsuzaka is a lot better than Irabu, though.