Red Sox Go Big For Japanese Pitcher

The worst kept secret in MLB is finally official. Major League Baseball has informed the masses that the Red Sox are indeed the team who posted the top bid for the right to negotiate a contract for the services of Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, MVP of the initial World Baseball Classic this past March. The bid, reported over the weekend to be in the $38-45-million range, is for $51.1-million. For the amount of money it would have cost the Sox to sign Johnny Damon to a 4-year contract last winter, the Sox get a 30-day period to come to terms on a deal with the 26-year-old ace of the Seibu Lions. If they come to an agreement (no lock with Scott Boras representing Matsuzaka; expect talks to center around a 3-or-4-year deal worth upwards of $10-to-14-million) then the folks in Seibu will be getting a large sum of American dollars; if not, the Sox pay nothing other than the long-distance telephone bill. If the Sox do sign the hard throwing righty than he will join a rotation of Curt Schilling, Josh Beckett, Jonathan Papelbon, and Tim Wakefield. And don't forget lefty Jon Lester, who is currently fighting cancer. Other Sox coming out of Naples, Florida, site of the General Manager's meetings, is that Theo Epstein and his crew are very interested in free agent outfielder J.D. Drew and they have offered contracts to two unnamed pitchers. The pitchers are most likely relievers and their interest in Justin Speier is no secret. Bullpen help will be very important as Papelbon shifts to the starting rotation from closer and the set-up crew of Manny Delcarmen, Mike Timlin, and Craig Hansen needs bolstering.