ESPN reporting-
The Red Sox may have won the rights to negotiate with Japanese phenom pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka.
Their bid? Reportedly 42 million, just to negotiate an actual contract (I hope this turns out better then the Josh Beckett experiement did for that much coin)
The Sox are hoping for a "Ichiro like" impact from Matsuzaka.
The 26-year-old was also named the MVP of the World Baseball Classic going 3-0 with a 1.38 ERA in leading Japan to that Title.
He was 17-5 with a 2.13 ERA, 200 strikeouts with 14 complete games for the Seibu Lions last season.
Another interesting stat about him, he once threw 250 pitches in a 17 inning complete game, in HIGH SCHOOL.
Adding Jonathan Papplebon to the starting rotation along with Matsuzaka, Schilling, Beckett and Wakefield, that looks rather promising....
So the Sox are spending 42 million just to negotiate, why not just use that money to lure Clemens or Zito back or both?
Things will be interesting in the wild spending AL East again come this off season...What will the Yanks answer with?
In other AL East news- (a relatively bland uninteresting note) the Orioles traded for Jaret Wright, the Yanks have also thrown in cash to get rid of Wright...I suppose the O's are thinking Wright being reunited with Mazzone might work out.
Journeyman
The Red Sox may have won the rights to negotiate with Japanese phenom pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka.
Their bid? Reportedly 42 million, just to negotiate an actual contract (I hope this turns out better then the Josh Beckett experiement did for that much coin)
The Sox are hoping for a "Ichiro like" impact from Matsuzaka.
The 26-year-old was also named the MVP of the World Baseball Classic going 3-0 with a 1.38 ERA in leading Japan to that Title.
He was 17-5 with a 2.13 ERA, 200 strikeouts with 14 complete games for the Seibu Lions last season.
Another interesting stat about him, he once threw 250 pitches in a 17 inning complete game, in HIGH SCHOOL.
Adding Jonathan Papplebon to the starting rotation along with Matsuzaka, Schilling, Beckett and Wakefield, that looks rather promising....
So the Sox are spending 42 million just to negotiate, why not just use that money to lure Clemens or Zito back or both?
Things will be interesting in the wild spending AL East again come this off season...What will the Yanks answer with?
In other AL East news- (a relatively bland uninteresting note) the Orioles traded for Jaret Wright, the Yanks have also thrown in cash to get rid of Wright...I suppose the O's are thinking Wright being reunited with Mazzone might work out.
Journeyman