Matzusaka officially given permission...

[mweb]

Something of a concern, but not a big one. Almost all Japanese pitchers are worked hard - over there it's almost like the pitching coaches were taken from the 1954 and transported to 2006 in a time machine. Despite that most of the other Japanese pitchers that have come here have thrived. I don't see why Matsuzaka would be different.

I think pitchers are a lot more resiliant than they're given credit for - most pitchers could handle a lot less structured roles than they're accustomed to in the majors today.

And how about another crazy idea - if Japanese pitchers can throw 130, 140 pitches a game on six days rest maybe they're ahead of the curve. Maybe in 2015 you'll see major league pitchers going 27 starts/210 innings instead of 32/180. Maybe that's the way to keep the ball out of the hands of your 11th- and 12th-best pitchers.

That's also a way to increase the cost of your pitching staff.

[Danielos38]

I know that there is a lot of speculation on this board, but has the Orioles organization made any comments showing interest in Matsuzaka?

[BigSkip]

I'm totally against signing this guy. Not because I don't think he has potential, because it's obvious he does, but because he's too damned expensive.

Thirty million just to negotiate contract rights? You've got to be kidding me, right? Thirty million!!!! Just to get the ball rolling!!!! That's flipping insane. Like someone said... You do that and then sign him at 10 mil a year over three years... and suddenly you're basically paying a pitcher 20 million a season. An unproven one at that.

NO

[srock]

I'm totally against signing this guy. Not because I don't think he has potential, because it's obvious he does, but because he's too damned expensive.

Thirty million just to negotiate contract rights? You've got to be kidding me, right? Thirty million!!!! Just to get the ball rolling!!!! That's flipping insane. Like someone said... You do that and then sign him at 10 mil a year over three years... and suddenly you're basically paying a pitcher 20 million a season. An unproven one at that.

NO

If you don't come to terms with him then you pay nothing and he goes no where. I'm not sure if the posting process repeats if he isn't signed.

[srock]

I know that there is a lot of speculation on this board, but has the Orioles organization made any comments showing interest in Matsuzaka?

No, nor should they. If they are targeting him, then it would dangerous to tip your hand because it is a silent biding process. You don't want the yankee's knowing you are planning to bid some amount for him, that just drive his price up.

[srock]

I'm totally against signing this guy. Not because I don't think he has potential, because it's obvious he does, but because he's too damned expensive.

Thirty million just to negotiate contract rights? You've got to be kidding me, right? Thirty million!!!! Just to get the ball rolling!!!! That's flipping insane. Like someone said... You do that and then sign him at 10 mil a year over three years... and suddenly you're basically paying a pitcher 20 million a season. An unproven one at that.

NO

More importantly, so what if he is expensive. I don't see any better ways to get a player of his caliber in an Orioles uniform. Due to the organizations poor reputation and losing stigma, it would cost just as must to convince Zito or Schmidt to sign here assuming they would even consider it. Also, the Orioles don't have the organizational depth to make trades for players of this caliber. The one they do have in excess is cash. Matzuzaka costs them nothing but cash, the one thing they have to barter with.

I agree with many others here have have said the Orioles need to go out and spend on some free agents to repair the organization's image. This would be a good step in that direction.

[byrdz]

Forget this guy! He will not be worth what he gets paid, I don't care what his records are in Japan. He's going to be facing much better lineups in MLB without a doubt. There's just to much unknown about how he will fare.

So, while the Yankees are preoccupied with the hype, like they always are, just go after the other guys like Zito or Schmidt or other proven guys that we KNOW will help us.

Hell, you could get both Zito and Schmidt for the price this guy will cost.

[Moose Milligan]

I love how we sit around and kid ourselves that we actually have a shot at signing this guy.

Although it'd be hilarious to hear him try to say BaLtimoRe...

[FellsPointOsFan]

I am trying not to invest any hopes or concerns in this business, but I would like to know when the winner of the Matsuzaka sweepstakes will be announced. Does anybody have any idea?

I assume that MLB would want it settled after the World Series, but before we are too deep into the free agency period. So, the winning bidder might be announced sometime this Fall? Am I right?

I am confused by this sentence in the ESPN article...

Matsuzaka is still one year away from becoming a free agent.

Does that mean the "posting" auction could be resolved soon, but the negotiations might not begin until a year from now? Would 2008 be the earliest he would pitch in America?

Is this really so confusing, or am I simply not the sharpest tool in the shed?

Sincerely,

Baffled in B'more

[bigbird]

To make this a moot point or not, BB has your guy said anything about making a bid for this guy? The O's were interested earlier but that's about all that has been said.

Last we spoke he didn't feel the front office was getting in on the bidding due to amount of posting fee.

[byrdz]

I think the posting fee takes out almost all teams including the Orioles.

We'll be lucky if the Orioles spend the amount of the posting fee on a starting pitcher, don't you think?

Here's another question, why not wait for him to hit free agency and bypass the posting fee? Wouldn't any team including the Yankees be wasting money unnesessarily by paying this stupid fee?

[geschinger]

I think the posting fee takes out almost all teams including the Orioles.

We'll be lucky if the Orioles spend the amount of the posting fee on a starting pitcher, don't you think?

Here's another question, why not wait for him to hit free agency and bypass the posting fee? Wouldn't any team including the Yankees be wasting money unnesessarily by paying this stupid fee?

Pay the stupid fee and sign him to a contract and you have him in 2007. You also get exclusive negotiating rights. If he was a free agent he might prefer to go to Seattle and throw to a Japanese catcher rather than go to the Bronx Zoo.

[SteveA]

Look at it this way - if you had a pitcher in your minor league system who threw 95 with great secondary pitches, he was coming off a 16-5, 2.08 season with more than a K an inning and a K/BB ratio of 4:1 he'd be one of the top five prospects in baseball. Maybe #1. Matsuzaka has performed like that, only he's gone up against better than AAA-caliber hitters.

If something occurred to grant that guy free agency, would you invest $60M in him? Who is that guy this year? Hughes perhaps? If Hughes became a free agent this year, would you invest $60M in him?

More importantly, how would you have done over the long term if you did it for that one guy each year. Maybe this year his name is Hughes. No one can tell if he is actually worth that type of investment. Last year maybe that guy was Liriano....after one year, it APPEARS he would have been worth that type of investment, mysterious injury notwithstanding. Two years ago that guy was Felix Hernandez... one great rookie year, one good but not great year...probably worth it. But one year that guy might have been named Ankiel. Or Dreifort.

I don't know, I'm not taking a position. If you took the best prospect on the cusp of the majors each year, who had never pitched in the majors before, and signed him to a contract that is equivalent to what an ace gets (say like Mussina's deal), how would you have done in the long run?

[Guest oriofan8]

Good news is....whichever team, Yankees for example, pay up the enormous amount of money it takes to land this guy....should...I repeat SHOULD be out of the market for Zito / Schmidt....and that would certainly help us.

[Sports Guy]

http://www.japanbaseballdaily.com/pacificleague10-9-2006.html

Scroll all the way down...Orioles mentioned.