Dealings would need 'abrupt change' to beat deadline After all the hoopla surrounding the $51.1 million bid the Red Sox posted to talk to Daisuke Matsuzaka, it appears a contract may not materialize Negotiations between the team and the Japanese star pitcher have nearly broken down, the Boston Herald reported Sunday. A source familiar with the situation told the Herald late Saturday that unless "there is an abrupt change of course," the Red Sox will not strike a deal with Matsuzaka before the deadline midnight Thursday. Attempts to reach Matsuzaka's agent, Scott Boras, were unsuccessful. The source blamed Boras for a lack of interest in the negotiations. Matsuzaka signed with Boras in October and was posted for bidding in early November. Matsuzaka was 17-5 with a 2.13 ERA and 200 strikeouts for his Japanese team, the Seibu Lions, this year. He throws in the high-90s, has good off-speed pitches and is known for his deceptive "gyroball," which has been likened to a screwball. The Lions will not receive any of the $51.1 million if Matsuzaka does not sign. The initial offer made by the Red Sox was believed to be between $7-8 million a year for four-six years, but Boras was reportedly asking for nearly $15 million a year. Though the Herald's source admitted that there is time for the outlook to change, as of Saturday night the team and Matsuzaka weren't close to finding a common ground. As an impartial observer this was a bullshit move by the Red Sox. I didn't want Matsuzaka to go to the Yankees but this move by the Red Sox makes me fume. They lowball the guy, Gil Meche is getting what a year and the Sox want to pay Matsuzaka what a year? They never had any intention on signing this guy. Don't bid 51.1 million if you have no intention on signing the guy. I understand the intention was to block the Yankees but this move deems of lack of sportsmanship. Hate the Yankees all you wany but they play by the rules that are in place. I hope the Red Sox go another 84 years with this cheap move. Because of this Japanese players will be lining up to give the Red Sox their lunch and good as long as they don't go to New York. Throw in the mention that there may have been tampering involved in the JD Drew deal and it makes me wonder who is the real Evil Empire? Oh and screw Rob Boras as he is a scumbag as well. God agents are ruining sports.
They only offered $7-8M? :rofl: It's nearly impossible to prove that they had no intention to sign him from the beginning, but I suspect it might be true, when you also factor in all of the rumblings about the Red Sox not acting in good faith at the GM Meetings. As Murray Chass said a few days ago, maybe the Red Sox are the "Evil Empire", not the Yankees.
I hope MLB does something about this, its just bushleague and as said earlier, who is the real evil empire? I hope all japanese players will now ignore the Sox and see that they are the real scum of baseball.
At this point it's still all posturing. There are still more than 4 days left to negotiate. If by Thursday at midnight the Sox haven't moved off $8M there's something to talk about, but right now this all means absolutely nothing.
Actually, I read somewhere (I think it was Gammons) who said the Sox basically have to have a deal in place by Tuesday night, because his physical must be completed before the Thursday midnight deadline.
There certainly has to be time for a physical, but it seems unlikely to me that it would take two days to do it. Either way, it's still too early to say that it was an underhanded move by the Sox. Not saying it wasn't, only that plenty of deals happen at the last minute.
7-8 is low but not that low if you think about it. He isn;t a free agent. Johan Santan got 8.75 mil a year on his extension. If Boras doesn't take something under 10 million he has to send Dice-K back to Japan for at least a year, when he will be reposted. During this time he makes I think 3 mil? so if he gets hurt he loses what... 40 million? If the Sox offer 10 mil a year and boras rejects it he may find himself having problems getting Japanese clients. Also remember there is no bidding by other teams, it isn't like jason Schmidt who got so much money because many teams wanted him. The options are whatever the Red sox offer against whatever he makes in Japan for 2 more years. That's why extensions are lower, see Santana, Sheets at 9 a year, Oswat at 8.5, Sabathia 8.6, peavy at 4.5 These are all proven MLB #1s including the best pitcher in baseball. so really the Red Sox aren't far off. If he declines it, I'd bet they make the high bid again next year and offer the same deal. I think this gets done at 5year between 45 and 50 mil. You don't leave that on the table with injury risks being what they are, plus the market goes in cycles, this year it's high, but by 2 years from now it could be down again and you only get burnett money 5/55 it is in Matsuzaka's interest to get a deal done more than the red sox.
It would in that matsuzaka has to get there from LA. If he leaves Wed morning at say 8 AM PST he doesn't get to Boston until early evening because of the time zone differences.
I'm 99% sure that if he doesn't make a deal with the Sox this year, he is an actual free agent next year. The reason Seibu was willing to listen to the bids this year was so that they could get something for him, rather than let him walk for free. He has already said he hoped that the Yankees won the bid since he's a Yankee fan. What better way to stick it back to the Sox than to don pinstripes next year? The Sox suck. As Rich said, you may hate the Yankees, but at least the Yankees do everything by the book. Yes, we blow away the luxury cap, and we pay our penalties without complaint.
As I said in the Yankees offseason thread, the posting rules should be changed and in the future teams should have to pay at least a percentage of whatever they bid, regardless of whether or not they sign the player. If Boston wants to spend $50 million to keep Matsuzaka away from the Yankees then let them do it. But don't let them kidnap the dude for free. That's not fair to the rest of the teams in baseball, to the Seibu Lions, or to Matsuzaka.
You guys are so quick to jump all over the Red Sox, but the only story that has come out saying there might not be a deal blames BORAS for it. I read an expanded version of this where it says the reason for Boras' disinterest is that he is being a baby about the posting process, and might be trying to challenge it. If that is true, there should be an investigation into Boras not serving the best interests of his client. I'll look for that article.
I actually thought the same thing. That a certain perecentage(whether it be 25, 50%) should be unrefundable. Would've kept the bidding...more in line.
Even if Boras is "disinterested" it does not excuse Boston's lowball offer. Consider that Ted "5 Inning" Lilly just got a contract that will pay him $10 million a season. Gil Meche is going to make $11 million per. And Boston offers Matsuzaka $7 million? Any way you slice it, that's not a serious offer. At best it's a serious underestimation of Boras/Matsuzaka's resolve, and at worst it's a blatent tell that Boston was more interested in keeping Matsuzaka away from the Yankees than they were in signing him.
Boras said it would take 15-20 million a year to sign him, which is absurd. he has no leverage, and has never thrown a pitch in MLB yet Boras wants to make him one of the highest paid pitchers in the league. If he doesn't get a deal he has to go back to Japan for 2 years making 4.3 million per year. He could be reposted next year, but noone not even the yankees are giving him 15 million. The Yankees learned from the Contreras and Pavano disasters
HE isn't a free agent. He can either take the red sox offer or go back to Japan and make much less, then he gets reposted again next year. Look back at my list of what players have gotten extensions for.
This guy was poison from the beginning. When you factor in: 1.Weak pitching market 2.Scarcity of quality arms in baseball in general 3.Scott Boras 4.The poor history of Japanese pitchers to date 5.The overblown salaries on the market. All that equals "stay away." It's quite obvious. Scott Boras and an unproven commodity just doesn't make any financial success. -X-
Lowball? Matsuzaka isn't a free agent, so comparing him to players who just signed free agent deals is irrelevant. Look at some other pitchers who have signed recently without 6 years of service time... Johan Santana, the best pitcher in the game right now made $8.75 million last year, and will make $12 million this year. Jake Peavy made $2.5 million last year and will get $4.75 this year, $6 million next year, and $8 million the next. He signed this extension coming off seasons when he went 15-6, 2.27 and 13-7, 2.88. After going 22-10 with a 2.63 ERA, Dontrelle Willis signed a one year deal for 2006 for just $4.35 million. Barry Zito made $8.5 million in his last year of his extension. If Matsuzaka was a 26 year old coming up from AAA he wouldn't get anything CLOSE to $9 million. The fact is that he has yet to throw a pitch in the US and is NOT a free agent. $9 million might be a little low, considering his talent, but $15 million is absolutely ridiculous and out of the question. I still think something will get done, and this story could be a tactic to get Seibu nervous and more willing to kick in a $10 million or so "advertising contract."
