Matsuzaka back in the game?!

Seibu Lions righthander Daisuke Matsuzaka still hopes to pitch in the major
leagues this season even after his Japanese League team rejected his request to
leave earlier this week.

A major-league source said Yankees officials were severely disappointed
when Seibu on Monday declined Matsuzaka's request to be offered to the big
leagues, though not as disappointed as Matsuzaka, 25, who recently hired agent
Scott Boras to help him realize his dream to play baseball in the United
States.

The interest in Matsuzaka is widespread from numerous major-league teams,"
Boras said yesterday. "If he were posted, he'd be one of the premier pitchers in
the big leagues because of his age and velocity."

If Matsuzaka and Boras somehow can convince Seibu to change its original
decision, there will be a scramble for the pitcher.

"Everyone's going to want him. He's a no-brainer," one major-league scout
said. "He's a big-money guy."

…. another major-league executive said of Seibu, "Certainly they can
reverse course. There's no document. It's their choice."

Okay, does that clear it up for everybody, whether MLB teams talk money with a team like Seibu, prior to the post? Or are you thinking that Boras & MLB somehow "persuades" Seibu to post him without ever even hinting at any posting figures? Maybe they promise Valentine cards in Kanji?

Blog-Land has been strangely skeptical as to whether there are any back-doors discussions that take place on a potential posting — we saw Mariners Wheelhouse challenged to prove it when he mentioned this one time. (??)

OK, there you go. Scott Boras his ownself in black-and-white, negotiating with Seibu, and MLB execs clamoring in the gray areas. You think you can take it from there?

…..

The bad news is, the Yankees would place a MASSIVE post — we will just estimate $25m or more — and then Scott Boras is going to want Millwood or even Burnett money.But as you know, if Yamauchi-san gets his blood in a boil, financial worries are out the window in Seattle.

.

Top 10 Clues Matsuzaka Had That He Would Not Be Posted

10. Strange potted bamboo plant with sandals following him everywhere

9. 2005 year-end performance review sprinkled with phrases like "bumbling oaf", "hanging gyroball," "bloated 2.30 ERA" and "whining over an extra couple hundred pitches in Orix game"

8. Name on his parking stall: "Matsuzaka." Name on adjacent stall: "Reserved for employee tailing Matsuzaka"

7. D-O-V founder goes missing on Oct. 22; subsequent pro-Suppan postings by new "contributor" at right

6. Seibu arranging to have Matusaka's offseason drug tests taken alongside those of Colorado professors

5. Tunnel that Matsuzaka was digging under locker room inexplicably collapsed one night — just after he got clear

4. In lunchroom, Lions coach casually asked, "with respect, you please to tell me how to make a body sink in salt water?"

3. Contract language included new offseason responsibilities: 14 hours/day manufacturing Nikes

2. Told that posting was to immediately follow his victory in "keep the hackysack going or die!" game

1. Owner demanded that agent speak only to hand sock