The Matsu-clock-a is a tickin'

Leave it to the Red Sox to mess this one up.

With a bid of $51.1 million, you'd think Boston and Theo Epstein would've realized that they'd win the bidding for Daisuke Matsuzaka. I understand that this was probably all a power play to make sure the Yanks didn't get the Japanese phenom but this reflects pretty badly on baseball as a whole now.

I understand that the Red Sox already paid over 50 million just to have the rights to talk to Matsuzaka but that shouldn't be something held against him. In dealing with agent Scott Boras, a team has to know that the price of a player is going to be high. If Barry Zito is expected to get a $100 million deal, then why shouldn't his Japanese counterpart?

And there have also been rumors that Boston has tried to get Matsuzaka's team, the Seibu Lions, to allow them to reduce the bid or even pay for part of the World Baseball Classic MVP's MLB salary. Which is all strictly against baseball policy.

There seems to be a lack of respect on the Red Sox's part here. The Yanks have respected Hideki Matsui and paid him his due. Shouldn't Boston be able to do the same?

I think the Sox may have finally found themselves outside of their league on this one. It was funny and it was cute to bid $51,111,111.11 but how about signing the guy? You realize that this chance doesn't come around every season. If the Sox screw this one up, they're going to have a hard time wooing another Japanese star down the road. And if they don't sign Matsuzaka this season and expect to get the rights for the same price next season, they're sadly mistaken. What was $51.1 million this year will turn into $80 million next season. The Yanks bid somewhere around $30 million for Matsuzaka this season, thinking that it would be enough based on past posting bids. I'm pretty sure that if they get a second wack at the gyroballer, they'll get him. Posting fees don't count toward the luxury tax and I'm pretty sure the combo of Matsui and Matsuzaka'll sell pretty nicely - especially in that brand new Yankee Stadium.

Congratulations, Boston Red Sox. A couple years ago, you bought out entire hotels in hopes of keeping the Yanks from negotiating with Jose Contreras. But you've outdone yourselves on this one.