Hanshin accepts $25M post for Igawa

[Balta1701]

So, we don't know the team yet, but it looks like the Red Sox have totally Blown open the posting market with that Matz bid. The Japanese teams will be thanking Boston for that for years.

 

The Hanshin Tigers have accepted the top bid -- believed to be about $25 million -- for left-handed pitcher Kei Igawa, SI.com has learned.

 

Major League Baseball is expected to announce Tuesday night which team won the bidding.

 

Hanshin had until Thursday to accept the winning bid, but decided early to accept the bid for Igawa, who went 14-9 with a 2.97 ERA. The winning team will be notified by early this evening, just before the announcement. Several teams bid on Igawa but there was a vast difference of opinion of his value, reflected in the bids, with some seeing him as a reliever or No. 5 type starter and some seeing him as much better than that.

 

As is the case with right-handed pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka and the Red Sox, the winning team will have 30 days to negotiate a contract. Igawa isn't considered a hard thrower but is 86-60 lifetime with Hanshin. He was 20-5 with a 2.38 ERA in 2003 when he won the Central League MVP.

[RockRaines]

Wow. Who would have thought that a #5 or middle reliever would cost that much? I hope it was the cubs.

[BHAMBARONS]

According to SI and Rotoworld the winning team posted $25M just to talk. He is at very best a 3rd starter maybe even a reliever. To sign him most likely would mean at least 7 per year. And a total package of $46 Million. Seems steep to me I would guess it would be the Mets/Cubs/Yanks that won the auction.

 

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/base....bid/index.html

 

 

See there is already a thread so mods take care of this one.

 

Thanks

Edited November 28, 2006 by BHAMBARONS

[Soxbadger]

Who knows with these players.

 

Kaz Matsui was godly and did not pan out.

 

Iguchi was pretty good and stayed solid.

 

A few years from now Igawa may be better than Matsuzaka, its just so much risk for a player who you really have very little idea of what your getting.

[knightni]

With the quiet on the Vazquez front and the declining of Glavine's option...I'd say that the Mets won.

[RockRaines]

With the quiet on the Vazquez front and the declining of Glavine's option...I'd say that the Mets won.

pretty good guess.

[beautox]

My Moneys on Seattle.

[ShoeLessRob]

My Moneys on Seattle.

 

And why is that?

[beautox]

Just a feeling, they already have a built in system with Johjima and Ichiro to provide a comfort level. They need pitching and they lost out on Matz like most everyone else.

[ShoeLessRob]

Just a feeling, they already have a built in system with Johjima and Ichiro to provide a comfort level. They need pitching and they lost out on Matz like most everyone else.

 

I'm sure the comfort level is indeed a factor but I really can't see them throwing money at this guy like that, but who know's, I guess we'll find out tonight.

[ptatc]

With the quiet on the Vazquez front and the declining of Glavine's option...I'd say that the Mets won.

 

I would agree but I think they will still look for more pitchers.

[jackie hayes]

Just a feeling, they already have a built in system with Johjima and Ichiro to provide a comfort level. They need pitching and they lost out on Matz like most everyone else.

They didn't even bid on Matsuzaka.

 

Here's a convoluted, out-there theory: The humongous bid amounts will encourage Japanese stars close to free agency in Japan to wait until they're clear of the posting system. For example, Matsuzaka now thinks, well, I'm worth $51 mil plus the contract amount for 3 years of work, but I'll only get $36 mil (just a guess). If I wait one year, I get all $87 mil. Even Kei Igawa loses $25 mil to his team. So the top players will choose to wait out their time. Knowing this, Japanese teams will start posting players earlier, meaning a lot more young talent for MLB. Probably cheaper, too, without the long track records of success. Is it possible that the bidding this year is strategic, that is, MLB teams overbid to encourage exactly this reaction in Japan?

 

I can't figure out how Boston would gain enough this way for themselves to justify the bid, but I can't figure out that bid in any way, so I thought I'd throw out my annual conspiracy theory. Cheers!

[Balta1701]

THHHHEEEEEEEEEE YANKEES WIN

At least it's not someone who seemed to be an obvious destination for one of our starters.

[ptatc]

Dang, I was on the wrong side of NY. Not that there is a right side of that city.

[beautox]

They didn't even bid on Matsuzaka.

 

Here's a convoluted, out-there theory: The humongous bid amounts will encourage Japanese stars close to free agency in Japan to wait until they're clear of the posting system. For example, Matsuzaka now thinks, well, I'm worth $51 mil plus the contract amount for 3 years of work, but I'll only get $36 mil (just a guess). If I wait one year, I get all $87 mil. Even Kei Igawa loses $25 mil to his team. So the top players will choose to wait out their time. Knowing this, Japanese teams will start posting players earlier, meaning a lot more young talent for MLB. Probably cheaper, too, without the long track records of success. Is it possible that the bidding this year is strategic, that is, MLB teams overbid to encourage exactly this reaction in Japan?

 

I can't figure out how Boston would gain enough this way for themselves to justify the bid, but I can't figure out that bid in any way, so I thought I'd throw out my annual conspiracy theory. Cheers!

 

I'm pretty sure they put a bid in for Matz and Secondly Matz isn't a FA after next season, he has two more years on his arm in Japan before he can become a FA that would make him 28/29.

 

I like the theory behind the posting system eventually coming to a lull, i would love to see Yuu Darvish get posted within the next two years.

 

[jackie hayes]

I'm pretty sure they put a bid in for Matz and Secondly Matz isn't a FA after next season, he has two more years on his arm in Japan before he can become a FA that would make him 28/29.

 

I like the theory behind the posting system eventually coming to a lull, i would love to see Yuu Darvish get posted within the next two years.

All the reports said they weren't bidding. For example,

Both the Mariners and Dodgers, two teams initially thought to have heavy interest in the star Japanese pitcher, have dropped out of the bidding in recent days.

 

As for Matsuzaka, I was going by this article, which says

...if a deal hasn't been finalized before midnight (ET) on Dec. 14, the $51.1 million bidding fee submitted by Boston would be returned.

 

Matsuzaka would then return to the Seibu Lions and become an unrestricted free agent after the 2007 season -- allowing his agent, Scott Boras, to negotiate with any Major League organization.

But I don't know the posting system well enough to back it up myself. What are the rules, then? Is the article wrong?

 

I watched that clip when you posted it before. Movement on his pitches, yes. But the control? Walks/9, k/bb?

[beautox]

All the reports said they weren't bidding. For example,

As for Matsuzaka, I was going by this article, which says

 

But I don't know the posting system well enough to back it up myself. What are the rules, then? Is the article wrong?

 

I watched that clip when you posted it before. Movement on his pitches, yes. But the control? Walks/9, k/bb?

 

Thanks for the info on Igawa.

 

As for Matz; upon watching MLB.com's GM meeting special(11/14/06) and hearing Barry Bloom's report, Matz isn't a FA next year, he has 2 more years till FA, and also if the red sox tried to post for him in bad faith(block the yankees, and not attempt to sign him), Boras could goto the players union and the next highest bidder(mets) would get a shot to sign him. also because they've posted 51mil they now have to pay a contract comperable to that.

[jackie hayes]

Thanks for the info on Igawa.

 

As for Matz; upon watching MLB.com's GM meeting special(11/14/06) and hearing Barry Bloom's report, Matz isn't a FA next year, he has 2 more years till FA, and also if the red sox tried to post for him in bad faith(block the yankees, and not attempt to sign him), Boras could goto the players union and the next highest bidder(mets) would get a shot to sign him. also because they've posted 51mil they now have to pay a contract comperable to that.

The first part was about Matsuzaka, not Igawa. Sorry, I was unclear. About free agency, I'll defer to you. But was the article just wrong, or does free agency come sooner if you get posted?

[beautox]

The first part was about Matsuzaka, not Igawa. Sorry, I was unclear. About free agency, I'll defer to you. But was the article just wrong, or does free agency come sooner if you get posted?

Got ya.

 

When your posted you forgo FA. The bid has to be accepted and a contract worked out within that time frame or else the bid goes back to the team, and the player goes back to the team posting. If Matz isn't signed within this time frame and the red sox offered him a comperable contract; he will go back to the lions, and next year the lions can post him again, and lets just say for argument that the negoations fail again. in '09 he would be a FA at age 28/29.

[jackie hayes]

Got ya.

 

When your posted you forgo FA. The bid has to be accepted and a contract worked out within that time frame or else the bid goes back to the team, and the player goes back to the team posting. If Matz isn't signed within this time frame and the red sox offered him a comperable contract; he will go back to the lions, and next year the lions can post him again, and lets just say for argument that the negoations fail again. in '09 he would be a FA at age 28/29.

Okay... The MLB article says otherwise.

[beautox]

Okay... The MLB article says otherwise.

Don't know what to tell you to believe but ill stand behind Barry Bloom.

[Leonard Zelig]

Yankees won, has that been posted yet?

[RockRaines]

Igawa vs the MLB all stars

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xjau2ebxYl8...ted&search=