Matsuzaka coming to US to play in MLB

[Sean Mota]

TOKYO (AP) -- Daisuke Matsuzaka said Wednesday he will pursue his dream of playing in the U.S. major leagues after the Seibu Lions officially agreed to the Japanese star pitcher's release.
The most dominant pitcher in Japanese baseball for the past eight seasons, Matsuzaka told a packed press conference that it has long been his desire to play in the majors...

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/baseball/mlb/11/01/matsuzaka.post.ap/index.html

The New York Yankees and the Seattle Mariners have shown interest in Matsuzaka. The Los Angeles Dodgers, the Boston Red Sox and the New York Mets are also thought to be among teams with the best chances of signing the Japanese star.
Reports say the Lions plan to charge an MLB team US$30 million (euro23.6 million) just for rights to negotiate with Matsuzaka. That's not including the US$13 million-$15 million (euro10 million-euro12 million) he'll likely earn on a yearly basis.

 

[Paul Wozniak]

That price tag puts him in only one place - Steinbrenner's deep pockets.

 

[Sean Mota]

That price tag puts him in only one place - Steinbrenner's deep pockets.

Ichuro went through the same bidding and the Seattle Mariners won that bid. So who knows....

 

[roachxp]

30 million is not bad, but will never equal the 84 million USD for Zinadine Zidane.

 

[Ramy]

Ichuro went through the same bidding and the Seattle Mariners won that bid. So who knows....

So do the Reds have a shot?

 

[Paul Wozniak]

Anybody here the outcome of this bidding war?

 

[Sean Mota]

Yesterday was the last day to put in a bid... Now we'll wait for the results of the bid.

 

[Sean Mota]

The Lions have four days to mull the bid. If they don't accept it, Matsuzaka will pitch for them again next year and become a free agent, free of the posting system, afterward. If Matsuzaka can't work out a deal with the winning club, he'll go back to Seibu, and the Lions - a team that needs cash, - won't get the posting fee.
While a Yankee official confirmed that the Bombers had posted a bid, the Mets would not discuss it, citing a directive from MLB that banned teams from publicly revealing their position. "We've been instructed by MLB not to make any comment," Met spokesman Jay Horwitz said.
Several other clubs figure to be in the running for Matsuzaka, including the Cubs, Diamondbacks, Red Sox and Rangers, according to various reports. Texas owner Tom Hicks told mlb.com on Tuesday that the Rangers would bid, before MLB issued its gag order.
The Mariners, who were believed to be a likely bidder, took themselves out of the running last week, saying they wouldn't bid. The Orioles also said they likely wouldn't bid, as have a few other teams. Of course, those clubs could have just been employing gamesmanship to try to limit the posting price and could make a bid.
Seattle, for instance, was rumored weeks ago to be planning a $30 million bid, according to an official with another team. Several agents said they heard the posting price would be high, too.
"I heard $20 million or $30 million," one prominent player agent said. "Nothing specific, though. I'm sure it'll be less than that, though. Thirty million is what it takes to run your player development program for one year, after all." The Mariners paid $13.125 million for the posting rights to negotiate with Ichiro Suzuki six years ago. They then signed him to a three-year, $14 million contract
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/story/469582p-395215c.html

 

[Ramy]

He might be good, but you never know what they can do until they get over here and play. To me the bid process is just a waste of money.

 

[roachxp]

He might be good, but you never know what they can do until they get over here and play. To me the bid process is just a waste of money.

The bid process is used all over the world in sports,it's just the US has thier own system.

Alot of teams depend on the money just for rights to negotiate to keep the rich teams from robbing their good talent. Ronaldinho negotiating fee is 100+million US dollars at Barcelona, that was to keep the world richest team owner Chelsea's from stealing him.

And Chelsea's owner only bought the team, because he wanted an NHL team, so he could buy all the best russian players in the league and have a super team, the only problem was the other owners fear the worst.

 

[Sean Mota]

Rumor: Yankees made the biggest offer about 30M and now Japanese Team needs to take the offer to go to the next step.

 

[Paul Wozniak]

Steinbrenner's deep pockets? Hmmm, wonder where i heard that before?

 

[Neutron]

I heard that the Rangers made close to a $30 million offer as well.

 

[patrickpiteo]

Well on Yes they are saying the Red Sox at $40 million........................

 

[Hart5150]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2656687

Buster Olney is reporting that the Red Sox may have posted the top bid with a figure between $38 million and $45 million, according to Major League Baseball officials who are monitoring the bidding.

 

[patrickpiteo]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2656687

So I guess the Yankees are not the only team that throws money at players..

 

[Neutron]

This is quite funny....

I hope he goes to anyone BUT the Yankees if he does play over here.

 

[harveystern]

player

How about Jeff Loria now theres a owner with deep deep nothing for you, maybe he can sell some art works to get him.

 

[Sean Mota]

So I guess the Yankees are not the only team that throws money at players..

kind of funny... isn't it? Red Sox buying players a pill from Yankee farmland...

 

[Paul Wozniak]

More examples of people with more money than brains.