Will the Red Sox sign Matsuzaka?

[EREmpireStrikesBack]

Will they be able to get him by Dec 14th which is the deadline? Or was their huge bid of $51.1 million just to block the Yankees from getting him? Will they be sorry?

Let's play hardball
Dec 6 - The Red Sox and Daisuke Matsuzaka remain far apart in negotiations, the Boston Globe reports.

"Matsuzaka has a dream to pitch in the major leagues and he is going to fulfill that dream," agent Scott Boras told the newspaper. "The time frame of it, I can't exactly predict. He knows his skill level is one that he is going to be a major leaguer someday.

"He is going to play for a major league team. That part of it is something he has been aware of for a long time. When that time will come, I can't tell you. We are going to do our best to see how this works out."

Boras's position is that Matsuzaka should be paid in line with the game's top pitchers. The Red Sox, who posted $51.1 million for the right to negotiate with Matsuzaka, disagree. If the parties cannot reach agreement by midnight Dec. 14, Matsuzaka's rights go back to his Japanese team, the Seibu Lions.

[Zamboni Guy]

Will they be able to get him by Dec 14th which is the deadline? Or was their huge bid of $51.1 million just to block the Yankees from getting him? Will they be sorry?

Let's play hardball
Dec 6 - The Red Sox and Daisuke Matsuzaka remain far apart in negotiations, the Boston Globe reports.

"Matsuzaka has a dream to pitch in the major leagues and he is going to fulfill that dream," agent Scott Boras told the newspaper. "The time frame of it, I can't exactly predict. He knows his skill level is one that he is going to be a major leaguer someday.

"He is going to play for a major league team. That part of it is something he has been aware of for a long time. When that time will come, I can't tell you. We are going to do our best to see how this works out."

Boras's position is that Matsuzaka should be paid in line with the game's top pitchers. The Red Sox, who posted $51.1 million for the right to negotiate with Matsuzaka, disagree. If the parties cannot reach agreement by midnight Dec. 14, Matsuzaka's rights go back to his Japanese team, the Seibu Lions.

Both sides are just bolstering for position right now. He will eventually sign with the Red Sox. How could the Sox justify spending all of that money on JD Drew and then pinching penny's for a strong SP? SP is the shallowest position in baseball right now and the good teams are able to stock pile arms.

[EREmpireStrikesBack]

There is increasing anxiety on Yawkey Way that agent Scott Bora is posing an obstacle to the Red Sox bid to sign Daisuke Matsuzaka. According to sources with direct access to the Sox' view, there is an increasing feeling that Boras is setting the stage, both privately and publicly, that there is not going to be a deal.
-- Boston Globe

[Irishmans Shanty]

I don't know if the BoSox will pony up the dough for this Japanese thrower. But I do know the Royals signed Gil Meche for 55 million over five years. Unbelievable, he's had 2 shoulder operations and is very average even if healthy.

[Zamboni Guy]

Dec 12 - With urgency ratcheted up to get Japanese star Daisuke Matsuzaka signed by the midnight deadline at the end of Thursday, the Red Sox -- represented by general manager Theo Epstein and club president/CEO Larry Lucchino -- flew to Southern California on Monday to negotiate directly with the pitcher and agent Scott Boras.

Red Sox principal owner John W. Henry offered his private plane to Epstein and Lucchino, who arrived, as Epstein put it, "unsolicited."

Epstein, in a conference call with reporters shortly before 1 a.m. ET on Tuesday, noted his goal of a resolution in succinct terms.

"John Henry has very generously made his plane available, it's here in Southern California," said Epstein. "It will leave on Wednesday morning. We hope Matsuzaka-san will be on it, that we can complete the physical in Boston in time to get a contract done."

Entire story

The thing that makes this whole situation unique is that Matsuzaka is NOT a free agent. If he wants to pitch in the Major Leauge's in 2007 it will have to be with the Red Sox. His agent, Scott Boras, is acting as though Matsuzaka is a permier free agent and that he should get the market value of a #1 starter in this free agent market (like Jason Schmitt got and what Zito wants). From Matsuzaka's perspective though, it seems as though he will take less money and less years just to pitch in the Major League's because he does not want to go back and pitch in Japan after "disgracing" their people. The general public in Japan would love to see Matsuzaka dominate the Major League no matter what he gets paid, there culture is very different than that of the US in this matter. It should be an interesting couple of days, that's for sure!