Boras to speak tonight on Matsuzaka issue

[example1]

Because this event is supposedly being covered by the AP and Japanese Media (and apparently not NESN directly, or ESPN live) I can't help but wonder if this is Boras' answer to the tinderbox-like response by the national media to one absurd Herald report which, as I stated earlier, I think only gets credit nationally because it was not in the Globe (which everyone knows is tied to the Sox) probably still thanks to the Sox brass.

[example1]

all i got so far is this from Boston.com

 

What do they mean by "last night"? Is that a quote for tomorrows paper?

[example1]

Sox brass in California to meet with Dice-K

By Gordon Edes, Globe Staff

 

With agent Scott Boras declaring last night that if "the parties' positions remain the same, Daisuke will return to Japan,'' the Red Sox top brass were in southern California to meet face-to-face with Daisuke Matsuzaka in a last-ditch attempt to induce him to sign.

Boras said that GM Theo Epstein, accompanied by principal owner John W. Henry and CEO Larry Lucchino, had come to conduct negotiating sessions last night and today in an attempt to beat Thursday's midnight deadline for a deal.

 

I'm reassured if Theo is in southern cal. I have a really hard time believing this deal isn't going to get done.

 

I'm sure there's something reasonable behind it, but if the Sox don't sign Matsuzaka I'm going to be very, very disappointed. If this guy is truly the best pitcher on the market and the Sox don't get him I'm going to be pissed.

[Beckett95]

What do they mean by "last night"? Is that a quote for tomorrows paper?

 

must be

[Beckett95]

So Boras pretty much said what we know already. The key quote being "if the parties positions remain the same, Daisuke will return to Japan.''

 

Make something happen Theo

[jacksonianmarch]

Red Sox GM Theo Epstein and owner John Henry are currently in Los Angeles to negotiate with agent Scott Boras and Daisuke Matsuzaka in anticipation of the Thursday night deadline.

 

At a news conference Monday night, Boras said that unless something changes, Matsuzaka will return to Japan. Meanwhile, the Red Sox may not even be sure what Matsuzaka wants, as Boras reportedly hasn't submitted a counterproposal to Boston's offer. If Boras is just going to sit back and wait for the Red Sox to say a number he likes, then nothing will get done.

 

rotoworld.com

[Beckett95]

Does Boras get how many people he is screwing over, including himself, if he doesnt get a deal done??

[jacksonianmarch]

does theo know how many people he is screwing over if he lowballs matsuzaka?

[example1]

rotoworld.com

 

The problem seems to be that Boras doesn't want to get a deal done. Like many here have stated (jacksonian, you included I believe) it is a matter of wanting to save 2 years and get an enormous FA check and simultaneously challenging the posting process itself.

 

It will be a shame if this guy doesn't get signed. It will all come down to who can convince Matsuzaka: the Sox or Boras. Can boston convince him that Boston is a special place to be a mega-star, with tremendous fans, a historic stadium and huge media/endorsement possibilities; or, is he so interested in making more money than any other player that he's willing to risk injury over the next two seasons?

 

It seems to me that a very simple mediation deal would solve the problem.

 

Year 1: 8m (+ incentives that can make him up to 13m this season)(kicker incentives that automatically boost his salary to 13m with incentives the following year)

Year 2: 9m (if kicker doesn't apply) 13m (if it does)

 

He should continue with the possibility of kickers up until he is earning 15m a season or so. he will cost a shitload (already would have if you've signed him) but he will have to be successful to get paid the big bucks.

 

Seems like a no brainer, wonder why they can't do that??

 

[jacksonianmarch]

I completely agree with you. Unless the sox give Boras EXACTLY what he wants, he will walk. He wants 3-6 yrs 15mil per. Otherwise, he has no interest in bartering down.

[example1]

does theo know how many people he is screwing over if he lowballs matsuzaka?

 

Dude, 9 or 10m a year is not lowballing anyone. 51m is the ultimate sign of respect and you can say "well they shouldn't have spent that much then!" But they HAD to. Even the Yankees bid over 30m on this guy, which is like 3 times the previous highest bid ever. The Mets bid 40. This is the only way the Sox had a shot at him.

 

Either this guy is worth what the top pitchers are (which I hear a lot of arguing)("they SHOULD have to pay him like Oswalt") Or he's 'untested' 'unproven', 'hasn't thrown a pitch yet in MLB.' He can't be worth both. It seems to me like 10m is somewhere between those two. I still think 12-13m will be the number.

[jacksonianmarch]

The problem seems to be that Boras doesn't want to get a deal done. Like many here have stated (jacksonian, you included I believe) it is a matter of wanting to save 2 years and get an enormous FA check and simultaneously challenging the posting process itself.

 

It will be a shame if this guy doesn't get signed. It will all come down to who can convince Matsuzaka: the Sox or Boras. Can boston convince him that Boston is a special place to be a mega-star, with tremendous fans, a historic stadium and huge media/endorsement possibilities; or, is he so interested in making more money than any other player that he's willing to risk injury over the next two seasons?

 

It seems to me that a very simple mediation deal would solve the problem.

 

Year 1: 8m (+ incentives that can make him up to 13m this season)(kicker incentives that automatically boost his salary to 13m with incentives the following year)

Year 2: 9m (if kicker doesn't apply) 13m (if it does)

 

He should continue with the possibility of kickers up until he is earning 15m a season or so. he will cost a shitload (already would have if you've signed him) but he will have to be successful to get paid the big bucks.

 

Seems like a no brainer, wonder why they can't do that??

 

 

 

Boras HATES incentives. Guaranteed money homey. That is how Boras rolls.

[Beckett95]

Matsuzaka has said all along that he wants to play in the MLB and his dream has finally come true. So my guess is that the Sox should be able to persuade him.

 

This kid screwed himself over when he hired that jerk Boras as his agent

[jacksonianmarch]

Dude, 9 or 10m a year is not lowballing anyone. 51m is the ultimate sign of respect and you can say "well they shouldn't have spent that much then!" But they HAD to. Even the Yankees bid over 30m on this guy, which is like 3 times the previous highest bid ever. The Mets bid 40. This is the only way the Sox had a shot at him.

 

Either this guy is worth what the top pitchers are (which I hear a lot of arguing)("they SHOULD have to pay him like Oswalt") Or he's 'untested' 'unproven', 'hasn't thrown a pitch yet in MLB.' He can't be worth both. It seems to me like 10m is somewhere between those two. I still think 12-13m will be the number.

 

How can I say that he is being lowballed? Because he is widely considered the best FA on the market. The s***** starters on the market are getting more than the sox are offering. The highest paid guy gets 16 mil a season. If you think half of that is not lowballing, then I dont know what is.

[example1]

Matsuzaka has said all along that he wants to play in the MLB and his dream has finally come true. So my guess is that the Sox should be able to persuade him.

 

This kid screwed himself over when he hired that jerk Boras as his agent

 

Seriously. And not because Boras is a BAD agent. he's a great agent, if what you want is, as jacksonian said, guaranteed money. If you want to get on a team or find a place that suits you well its a crap-shoot. Boras was Varitek's agent and his contract seemed a little overpriced at 10m a year, but I wasn't too disappointed with it.

 

I think there will be one very telling interaction. Matsuzaka, his translator, Theo, LL, perhaps TW and a select group of the other sox brass will sit down. Matsuzaka will listen to them, listen to them talk about baseball and their hopes for the team and for Matsuzaka and their description of Sox nation, and Matsuzaka will either think "THIS is what I want. THIS is what baseball is all about" or he will think "I don't feel comfortable with this." It is essentially a mutual interview. Schilling walked away from thanksgiving and his time on SOSH saying "Damn, these guys know their stuff. They approach baseball the way it is supposed to be approached." Let's hope its the same with DM.

[jacksonianmarch]

Matsuzaka has said all along that he wants to play in the MLB and his dream has finally come true. So my guess is that the Sox should be able to persuade him.

 

This kid screwed himself over when he hired that jerk Boras as his agent

 

you dont hire boras by accident. He is going for BIG money. If he wanted just a deal to get done, he never would have hired the biggest prick (and the best agent) in baseball.

[Beckett95]

I think a guy like Schilling should go out there with Theo and help try to lure Matsuzaka.

 

But in the end, isnt it the players final decision, not the agent?

[Beckett95]

you dont hire boras by accident. He is going for BIG money. If he wanted just a deal to get done' date=' he never would have hired the biggest prick (and the best agent) in baseball.[/quote']

 

true, but i think it was more Boras picking Matsuzaka then Matsuzaka picking Boras. He was probably lured into Boras's trap guaranteeing Matsuzaka BIG money.

[exsubmariner]

Boras wants to blow the system up. He knows that the Sox are not going to give him 15 mil a year. He has already laid the ground work in Japan for this to be the Red Sox and MLB's fault and not Matsuzaka's. Boras sees Dice K as the Japanese Curt Flood. This deal will not happen.

[Beckett95]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/12/sports/baseball/12boras.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

 

MLB has no intention of letting agent Scott Boras try to buy Daisuke Matsuzaka's freedom from the Seibu Lions should negotiations with the Red Sox fail.

 

There's been some speculation that Boras would help Matsuzaka come up with a sufficient total to pay off the Lions. "The Commissioner’s office would not recognize that free agency, and the Japanese commissioner’s office is in agreement with us," said Lou Melendez, the vice president for international operations for MLB. If Matsuzaka declines to take Boston's offer, Boras could attempt to legally challenge the posting system. While he could build quite a case, even a successful challenge might not get Matsuzaka to the majors any sooner.

[example1]

How can I say that he is being lowballed? Because he is widely considered the best FA on the market. The s***** starters on the market are getting more than the sox are offering. The highest paid guy gets 16 mil a season. If you think half of that is not lowballing' date=' then I dont know what is.[/quote']

 

But if the Sox are offering incentives (which they do with nearly every attempted contract) and Boras is rejecting them then that's NOT lowballing. If this guy really is the best FA then he should have no problem meeting the basic expectations they set (say for winning 15 games, pitching 200 IP, era below 4, etc.,) and getting the money. Does he deserve more respect than that, probably? But he's a 26 year old rookie. A 26 year old Jonathan Papelbon takes his salary, knowing that he's putting through with some 'lumps' for a big paycheck later.

 

Is Matsuzaka making 400,000 like Verlander or Papelbon? No. Has he thrown a single pitch in MLB? No.

 

10m for never having thrown a pitch, with offers of incentives for simple all-star caliber performance, is NOT lowballing.

 

boras's problem is his inflexibility. How can you NOT expect flexibility in a situation like this? Why assume that a conventional FA contract without incentives is going to get a bizarre stuation like this done? 3 teams bid a combined 120,000,000 to TALK to this guy. One team won. Boras needs to show a little flexibility or his client won't be pitching in the MLB next year.

 

You think Matsuzaka wants to fly back to Japan saying "well, that was a nice try. I wish I could pitch in the MLB but I'll wait through 2 of my best years because Boras wants to prove a point." You think that's REALLY what Matsuzaka wants?

[Cityofchampions33]

When you look at it, 15 mill isn't as bad as you think, especially if we sign him to a long contract, then we might end up saving money instead of having to re-up the salary at the end of the contract we wanted.

[Beckett95]

agree, you really can't be lowballing at any price since he has never pitched in the MLB before. Still, i think he deserves 12-13 million with some incentives to make it 15+ million.

 

If Boras declines that offer, he is truly a disgrace to baseball. (if he isnt already)

[jacksonianmarch]

No, c'mon man. The big guys are getting GUARANTEED MONEY. Incentives are potential money. The big guys get the money regardless. He wants GUARANTEED MONEY. Why do you think Ricky Williams first contract was considered the dumbest contract in football? Because it was all incentives that injury precluded him from reaching.

[Beckett95]

Ill feel bad for Matsuzaka if he ends up going back to Japan and having to wait another 2 years to experience his dream of playing in the MLB. Everyone in Japan wants him to be here. It just doesnt make sense for the 2 sides not to come to an agreement.

[ORS]

Jeebus, it's like panicville in here. Good thing no one here is calling the shots, doubly so for you Jacko since you are leading the lemmings to the cliff, because you would have all flinched 2 days before the deadline. Nobody has flinched yet. Nothing new to report. Posturing from both sides. Now go watch the excellent football game on tonight.

[Beckett95]

I think if no deal is agreed upon by tomorow night, than no deal will get done.

 

And poor Daisuke has to go back to Japan.

[jacksonianmarch]

what I really dont understand is why the sox are playing poorboy after throwing 14 mil away on Drew. They really have no ground on this. If you are going to go balls to the wall on crappy ass talent, then why short change the guy the sox REALLY want.

[ORS]

what I really dont understand is why the sox are playing poorboy after throwing 14 mil away on Drew. They really have no ground on this. If you are going to go balls to the wall on crappy ass talent' date=' then why short change the guy the sox REALLY want.[/quote']

You take everything written in the paper literally, don't you?

[jacksonianmarch]

You take everything written in the paper literally' date=' don't you?[/quote']

 

no, not really. I do believe the sox are still lowballing right now. How much is anyone's guess.

 

I do believe that the Drew signing will come back to haunt the sox, though, and many people share my belief. There are some GMs who were quoted (anonymously obviously) as saying that may be the single worst free agent signing ever.