Potentail staff ace? Wow.

 

How about potential Hideki Irabu too. Or Potential Kaz Ishii too? How about potential El Duque too? This is a $100 million gamble, and I'm still waiting to take any and all comers that want to take the 100 wins in 6 years bet.

 

We'll see.

 

You seem to keep choosing to ignore the fact that it isn't a $100 million dollar gamble. The money they will get for showing their games in Japan goes directly to the team since they own their own cable network. The true cost to the Red Sox will be less than half of that. What if he averages 14 wins per year? In this market 75-85 wins over 6 years for around $50 million dollars is not that bad of a price. So pretty much the same money that could have bought them Ted Lilly or Gil Meche they have a 26 year old player that dominated The World Baseball Classic--against a lot of Major League Stars. It isn't like the Red Sox looked at a couple of hightlights and ponied up this money. They've had a scout assigned to follow his every start since early last season--this is a totally different situation. He's more of a Greg Maddux type pitcher that won't try to blow hitters away like Irabu did and he's a heck of a lot younger than El Duque (who's actually 74 years old) was, and he's got much better control than Ishii. For what the Red Sox will actually be out when all is said and done he doesn't have to win 100 games to be considered a success.

Think of it this way, we have a potential diamond in the "rough" in Homer. What will we have to wait? 1yr? 2yr? We may actually be in better position with a better guy for a fraction of the caish! What if it takes the Sox the same time frame for this guy to realize his potential? Thats alot of sushi!!:eek:

You seem to keep choosing to ignore the fact that it isn't a $100 million dollar gamble. The money they will get for showing their games in Japan goes directly to the team since they own their own cable network. The true cost to the Red Sox will be less than half of that. What if he averages 14 wins per year? In this market 75-85 wins over 6 years for around $50 million dollars is not that bad of a price. So pretty much the same money that could have bought them Ted Lilly or Gil Meche they have a 26 year old player that dominated The World Baseball Classic--against a lot of Major League Stars. It isn't like the Red Sox looked at a couple of hightlights and ponied up this money. They've had a scout assigned to follow his every start since early last season--this is a totally different situation. He's more of a Greg Maddux type pitcher that won't try to blow hitters away like Irabu did and he's a heck of a lot younger than El Duque (who's actually 74 years old) was, and he's got much better control than Ishii. For what the Red Sox will actually be out when all is said and done he doesn't have to win 100 games to be considered a success.

 

 

I don't think he'll win 84 games either.

I think the major driving force behind the "handling fee" as well as the entire contract was to keep the Yankees from getting him. The Red Sox may not get their money's worth, but at least the Evil Empire won't get him either.

I don't think he'll win 84 games either.

 

The main point I'm trying to make is in the long run the team will actually be out somewhere in the $40-50 million dollar range on a 26 year old pitcher that throws 95 mph with 5 pitches. He has also done extremely well in his chances against MLB players. I feel much better about spending the money on him at this point than I would have on Pettitte, Lilly, Meche, Suppan, Marquis or any of those guys. I feel pretty good about the fact that the Sox now have 3 26 year old pitchers with plus arms locked up for the next several years in Beckett, Papelbon, and D-Mat.

The main point I'm trying to make is in the long run the team will actually be out somewhere in the $40-50 million dollar range on a 26 year old pitcher that throws 95 mph with 5 pitches. He has also done extremely well in his chances against MLB players. I feel much better about spending the money on him at this point than I would have on Pettitte, Lilly, Meche, Suppan, Marquis or any of those guys. I feel pretty good about the fact that the Sox now have 3 26 year old pitchers with plus arms locked up for the next several years in Beckett, Papelbon, and D-Mat.

So should a MLB team be more worried about winning games or building revenue streams overseas? I'm honestly asking your opinion?

 

Understanding your point they'll recoup many millions in rights' fees, they still spent a TON OF CASH on a rookie. Does not the track record of Irabu, Ishii, Nomo, Contreras, El Duque, etc not worry you a bit? This is a rookie that you are making the highest paid pitcher in the game...wow.

 

Again, have at it. At least he has a cool nickname already: D-Mat.

So should a MLB team be more worried about winning games or building revenue streams overseas? I'm honestly asking your opinion?

 

Understanding your point they'll recoup many millions in rights' fees, they still spent a TON OF CASH on a rookie. Does not the track record of Irabu, Ishii, Nomo, Contreras, El Duque, etc not worry you a bit? This is a rookie that you are making the highest paid pitcher in the game...wow.

 

Again, have at it. At least he has a cool nickname already: D-Mat.

 

Oh they definately should be more concerned about winning. One huge fact is that in order to do that you have to do well in foreign markets, the Far East is becoming more and more important as a talent base so once the posting fee was decided it was imperative for the Sox to sign D-Mat in order to help them in that market. He's going to be nearly the highest paid pitcher in the game, he's only going to be making a little bit over $8 million a year. The posting fee does not count against the luxury tax and will be more than recouped over the life of his contract so it doesn't conern me at all. As far as being concerned about him compared to the ones you mentioned, I'll give you that Irabu and Ishii were duds but Nomo, Contreras, and El Duque have been servicable big league starters with the last two being a big part of World Series champions. He's also signifigantly younger than any of the last 3 were when they were acquired, he's been scouted more in depth, and he's got a 95 mph fastball, and four other pitches including a plus change up. Like I said I feel a lot better spending $8 million per year on him than on Meche, Lilly, Pettitte, Marquis, Suppan or any of the other free agents out there. We already know what they'll do, D-Mat could be much, much better. Maybe he will maybe he won't, if he can just produce at the level of one of the aforementioned players he'll be a huge asset in future negotiations in the Far East and we could do a lot worse than that. In regards to nickname I'm torn between D-Mat and Dice-K. Which one do you like?

In regards to nickname I'm torn between D-Mat and Dice-K. Which one do you like?

I'll stick with TooMuchYen. :banana:

I'll stick with TooMuchYen. :banana:

 

 

Actually that one should go to the Japanese pitcher that the Yankees signed. I feel a lot better spending the $51 million on Dice-K than the $26 million the Yankees spent on Kei Igawa who is much more likely to be Irabu than Dice-K.

AJG, did you see your boy in a Bruins Sweater last night walking on the ice? As Bill Simmons would say, the "unintentional comedy scale" was being lit up.

I don't think he'll win 84 games either.

 

I don't either but I'd be more willing to make a wager that he would. I think the key is if he stays healthy b/c they will score some runs for him.

So the big question now is this- where do I take him in my fantasy draft?

AJG, did you see your boy in a Bruins Sweater last night walking on the ice? As Bill Simmons would say, the "unintentional comedy scale" was being lit up.

 

No, but if you've got a link anywhere it sounds like its got potential.....That's all we would have needed would have been for him to slip and break his arm or something.

Here's a pretty good article from Dan Shaughnessy, an open letter to Dice-K.

 

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2006/12/14/some_friendly_suggestions_for_matsuzaka/