Mets getting a crack at Matsuzaka?

BUT, since he is not in the market ...

 

We're talking about Lilly and Meche. Keep up with the program.

 

Obviously, you haven't read much about Matsuzaka how he racked up insanely high pitch counts as a teenager. These are the kinds of stories we used to hear about Kerry Wood when he came to the majors, too, and he hadn't had a pro career on top of that.

My point about Meche and Lilly, which I will try to make again for those who need to work on their reading comprehension, is that you can't just judge a contract on the player's past production and physical skills. You also have to take into account factors like the market, particularly what other teams might be bidding.

People keep throwing around dollar figures that they are sure other teams would pay. Those are guesstimates with very little basis in fact. They do not qualify as hard information.

And markets are based on opinions, on the opinions of teams that spend the money.

Whether you or Boras like it or not, Matsuzaka is not in the same market that Meche and Lilly were in.

 

Simply put, the Red Sox paid $51 million, which won't count against their cap, to enter the Japanese market. Once they did so, they expected to get a projected ace pitcher for below market value.

One of the conditions for putting in the bid was that there would be fair bargaining. If pitchers that are projected to be worse than D-Mat are receiving the type of gelt they are getting, offering $8 million isn't fair bargaining.

 

But he's seeking a lucrative contract just the same, only with much better credentials.

 

You said "markets establish value" ... and he's not in the market, thus is not subject to its direct influences.

 

While I'm sure that was an ulterior motive, that is not what they paid for. The Red Sox paid for the exclusive right to negotiate with Matsuzaka. Period. Nothing more, and more importantly, nothing less.

Matsuzaka is not a free agent, therefore his options are more limited tham those of Meche or Lilly and that is going to cost him money.

I love how some people who take the side of the big markets are now arguing for fairness and opposing this particular part of the system.

Shows how some people in these baseball debates don't have a consistent position, except for being NYC-based homers.

Obviously, I don't mean Oz and I don't really know who Pastor's team is.

 

The problem is that you seem to believe the Red Sox are entitled to (or have sufficient leverage to) dictate a price, which is simply not the case. They need so start bringing their number up closer to his actual market value or risk losing him altogether.

 

What I'm saying is Matzusaka doesn't have the same leverage as a true free agent and the Red Sox would be foolish to pay him as if he was one.

And I don't see anything shady about it if the Red Sox decide to stick to their guns, even to the point of being unable to sign him. I will be more willing to blame Boras than Boston if that happens.

As usual, Boras seems more interested in finding loopholes and challenging the system than he is in the welfare of this client.

 

OOP, what the Mets bid (even though it turned out to be second highest) has nothing to do with what the Red Sox bid. Everyone thought the Yankees would be the high bidder.
Do you think Espstein, Lucchino and Henry sat there and said "we have to make an over the top bid so the Mets don't get hm?" No. They said "we have to outbid the YANKEES for him"

The point is, they made a bid that says they see this guy as a top-of-the-rotation starter and now they are tying to give him fourth-starter money..and thy're trying to do it with a Bor-ass client.

Are they really so stupid to think this is the way to get the deal done?
And that has nothing to do with the fact that I'm a Mets fan.

 

Players choose Boras because he's by far the best in the business when it comes to extracting every dollar possible for his client. Over the years and hundreds of contracts, I'd suggest that Boras has done extraordinarily well for his clients.

 

No doubt, but he'd rather beat the team than do what is best for his client.