Will The Lions Post Daisuke Matsuzaka?
Will they or won’t they? As he would’ve been in 2005, Japanese hurler Daisuke Matsuzaka could be the best starting pitcher on the market if the Seibu Lions post him. Whether they’ll do it is still an open question.
Seattle Times reporter Larry Stone has examined the situation carefully, and it seems like a 50/50 proposition. If the Lions do decide to post him, teams must bid just for the rights to negotiate with Matsuzaka. Stone speculates that the bidding for these rights could exceed $30MM. You have to figure it would take around five years and $55 million to sign the prospective Scott Boras client after that.
For those not scoring at home, that’s the equivalent of $17MM annually for Matsuzaka. If he were to flop, it would be colossal. The two names that always come up for Matsuzaka are the Yankees and Mariners. The Yanks have the cash, and the Ms have the Japanese connection. It’s possible the Mets, Red Sox, Dodgers, or Angels could get involved as well.
I wrote about Matsuzaka extensively for my fantasy baseball blog, RotoAuthority. You can scroll through that background by clicking here. At the time, it was believed Matsuzaka threw a fascinating pitch called the gyroball, which has yet to be used in the Major Leagues. However, Yahoo’s Jeff Passan debunked that myth back in March. All he had to do was ask.
Daisuke Matsuzaka and the Gyroball
Japan’s Daisuke Matsuzaka brings his mysterious gyroball against Vinny Castilla and the Mexican team tonight. I’ve written quite a bit about Matsuzaka back when we thought there was a chance he could come to the United States this offseason. Here’s a link with all four of my posts on the topic – scroll to the bottom to start at the beginning.
UPDATE: Fittingly, Jeff Passan’s interview with Matsuzaka recently reveals that he does not throw the gyroball regularly. Hat tip to Will Carroll, who pointed me to that article and brought the gyroball to the forefront in the U.S.
Matsuzaka Staying In Japan
A couple of readers have been asking about Japanese gyroball pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka. Is he still available for posting? Is there any chance he comes to the U.S. for 2006? I assumed he would come over, naming him the best available free agent pitcher (excluding Clemens). The always helpful Gary Garland of Japan Baseball Daily was willing to answer our questions.
On Matsuzaka’s 2006:
Matsuzaka just signed a new contract with Seibu and will not be posted this offseason. Seibu seems to be now saying that they are going to make Matsuzaka wait until he is a free agent, but I think the situation is a little more fluid than that.
On a Mets fan favorite, Kaz Ishii:
Incidentally, a little housekeeping matter: according to Hochi Sports, Kazuhisa Ishii has decided to re-sign with Yakult.
On the Hawaiin Winter League:
Finally, it looks like the Hawaiin Winter League will be revived. In tha past, Japanese teams have sent players to that league for a little extra seasoning. Among past graduates of that league is Ichiro Suzuki.The Korean pro league will also send some youngsters to be part of the four team circuit, according to Nikkan Sports.
As always, thanks for the informative Japanese baseball info, Gary.