Matsuzaka to Me

I apologize for the poor Laugh In pun but it is the best I can do on short notice.

That said - the object of my pun is 26 yr old Japanese righthander Daisuke Matsuzaka - the free agent ace my Red Sox paid a reported $51.1 million dollars just to negotiate with!

Is he worth it?? If you look at his numbers over the last 3 years in Japan you can't argue with his success.

Some positives (simply put) -
1. he is 26 yrs old and theoretically has his best years ahead of him
2. he is an EXTREMELY talented pitcher with an incredible combination of power and control that very few players have ever had
3. the Yankees didn't get his negotiation rights!

Stay tuned in the next 30 days for a sure to be ugly negotiation with his agent - the devil's right hand - Scott Boras.

Ultimately I believe this bold move will be worth every penny spent and will help the Sox atract other free agent talent currently on their radar. This move clearly shows the Sox are serious about doing whatever it takes to fill the needs they have and make this team the favorite for the 2007 World Championship.

That works for me.