MATSUZAKA! MATSUZAKA! MATSUZAKA!
At this point I can’t say that I’m surprised the Red Sox are the top bidder, but I’ll be surprised if they overpay anymore for him as a “pitcher” during the next 30 days. That doesn’t mean I don’t expect him to get offered a nice cushiony contract, he is only 26 and has more of a proven track record than Beckett (2003 World Series aside). But, Daisuke has yet to throw a pitch in MLB.
I would expect that the top offer the Sox make is around $40 million with some options. I think the move is more strategic than brining a World Series trophy to Fenway, because for $90 million the Sox could’ve grabbed a couple of free agent pitchers. Winning the bid asures that Matsuzaka doesn’t end up with the Yankees, and if they do get him they now have significant penetration into the Japanese market. In addition, I don’t believe the bidding will be subject to salary cap so there won’t be a luxury tax on that amount — wondering how much tickets will go up in price next year 