Bosox wins $51K bid to talk to Matsuzaka

by **Brent Burns** on Wed Nov 15, 2006 12:31 pm

Can imagine this is the rage of the day in the Beantown:

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-redsox-matsuzaka&prov=ap&type=lgns

Imagine the Red Sox bidding $51M to just negotiate with Matsuzaka from Japan. Perhaps I am totally out of the loop, but I find this incredulous to bid that a lot of money to just talk to this player.

Had to edit this cuz I originally started off with the wrong 51K which was confusing. Actually, it is $51 million bucks to JUST TALK with this guy.

**Sponsor**

by **StrykerFSU** on Wed Nov 15, 2006 1:04 pm

It just shows that Boston's ownership is willing to go that extra mile for their fans. It's really too bad that guy in the Bronx doesn't show the same desire to field a winner.

by **KnoxVegas** on Wed Nov 15, 2006 1:32 pm

Extra mile? How many players could you get for $51 million? One player, who isn't even obligated to sign with the Red Sox, is steep.

by **jessexy** on Wed Nov 15, 2006 1:38 pm

KnoxVegas wrote:Extra mile? How many players could you get for $51 million? One player, who isn't even obligated to sign with the Red Sox, is steep.

well, as a former fan of the Rangers, you could get only 2 A-Rods for $51 million. Thats $25.2 times 2. maybe they could split him in half and play him at shortstop and 3rd base.

by **KnoxVegas** on Wed Nov 15, 2006 1:40 pm

I never jumped ship! Ranger fan for life! I am still waiting on Scott Coolbaugh's rookie card to gain value. My friends seem to think my displeasure with Bush is because of his political career. Hell no! he ran my team into the ground.

by **laxfan25** on Wed Nov 15, 2006 1:40 pm

Ethan, I thought you were confusing $51K (the title of this post) with $51M - then I read the article! I thought $51K wasn't much in the way of cost for negotiating rights, given the modern cost structure in pro sports - $51M? THAT'S a little different! (might be part of the affirmative action program for minority baseball players - the number of Asian-Americans is distressingly low! :wink:

)

by **CATLAX MAN** on Wed Nov 15, 2006 2:14 pm

StrykerFSU wrote:It just shows that Boston's ownership is willing to go that extra mile for their fans.

I beg to differ. I think it shows to everyone the level of their stupidity.

by **horn17** on Wed Nov 15, 2006 5:38 pm

if.....

Tom Sellecks' character in Mr. Baseball was real, what would you have to pay to negotiate with him.....(remember he was in Japan).....

I decided:

1 Million to negotiate with Tom

25 Million to negotiate with the "stache"

Baseball, is there a more overpaid sport? Don't say basketball, because you at least have to be in shape......

by **KnoxVegas** on Wed Nov 15, 2006 6:17 pm

Of the US sports, how about hockey? No one watches and the shift times are so low tha you only have to be good for about 10 minutes a night. Mario Lemieux made crazy money for being one dimensional. Remeber, there is no "D" in Lemieux or his game.

Go Caps!

by **FLAK** on Wed Nov 15, 2006 6:56 pm

The 51 mil is refundable if he doesn't sign with the sox, saw it on ESPN.

As for this character:

KnoxVegas wrote: shift times are so low that you only have to be good for about 10 minutes a night.
Go Caps!

At least hockey is still a team sport unlike the one man show traveling/dunk fest that each professional basketball game has turned into. Yeah sure we're seeing history in the making with Lebron James, ill give him props for his commercials though.

Goalies play the whole game in hockey (goalies cant be the fattest guy on the team anymore), Defense play 20 minutes a piece if they're on the top two pairings. Yeah forwards usually average about 14 minutes a game, but isn't that just about the same for a midfielder in lacrosse?

I could go on a rant about the idiocy of the NHL for not signing a less money/more exposure contract with ESPN. I miss the ESPN Stanley Cup playoffs theme song (if you're not a fan you wouldn't understand) among other things.

by **BigheadTodd** on Thu Nov 16, 2006 2:35 am

If I am THEO i am going to lock him up for at least 10 years, or not at all. The article says that if there is no contract after 30 days, then the pay nothing.

by **bste_lax** on Thu Nov 16, 2006 2:55 am

If they don't sign him, they basically blocked him from signing with the Yankees and didn't cost them a cent.

by **CATLAX MAN** on Thu Nov 16, 2006 12:07 pm

I think what happens if they don't sign him is that he returns to his Japanese team for one year. At that point, he becomes more like a free agent where a posting fee is not required. Not totally sure about that, but, if true, then they keep him away from the Yankees for only one year.

by **bste_lax** on Thu Nov 16, 2006 11:41 pm

CATLAX MAN wrote:I think what happens if they don't sign him is that he returns to his Japanese team for one year. At that point, he becomes more like a free agent where a posting fee is not required. Not totally sure about that, but, if true, then they keep him away from the Yankees for only one year.

But the Yankees will probably over spend to get Barry Zito or Jason Schmidt this offseason as they need pitching help.

by **KnoxVegas** on Wed Dec 13, 2006 5:43 pm

Now that it looks like the Red Sox are going to sign him, anyone still think that $103 million over six years is worth it for a pitcher?