Gammons Reports Sox Win Matsuzaka Bid

Peter Gammons has reported that the Sox bid $42 million dollars for the rights to negotiate with Daisuke Matsuzaka. Gammons has been extremely quiet on this topic up to this point, which makes me believe this is genuine information.

A couple of points. Many people will question the amount spent on the posting bid. The fact is, Matsuzaka opens up a ton of revenue streams for the Sox that they have yet to tap into. They will gain presence in the Asian market both in the U.S and abroad. This will not only raise revenue through merchandising, but also through sponsorships. The $42 million dollars does not go toward the salary cap and will most likely benefit them when it comes to taxation and revenue sharing. It blocks DM from the Yankees and gives them a top of the rotation starter who will be 27. The question now is how much are the Sox willing to give DM for a salary. He makes about 3 million a year with the Seibu Lions. Considering Scott Boras is his agent, they could be looking for triple that. I think the sox will offer no more than $10 million, but that is just speculation. If they make an offer to low, I would imagine some owners (Goerge) would preach bad faith. That being said, I think they get this thing done fairly quickly. That would mean the sox would potentially have 3, maybe 4, starters in their mid-to-upper twenties.

Assuming this thing pans out, I can’t wait for the first time Matsuzaka faces Matsui.