The Red Sox Beat Boras

I really believed that the Red Sox had played themselves into an impossible situation - that there was no way they would be able to come to an agreement with Daisuke Matsuzaka. In the end, however, it happened - and for a whole lot longer than I would have thought possible.

The reports are that Matsuzaka got a 6 year, $52 million deal from the Red Sox. That's less than $9 million/year - significantly closer to the $8 million the Red Sox were reportedly offering than the $11 million minimum that Boras was reportedly demanding. It's also much, much less than I think Matsuzaka could have received on the open market.

In the end, however, it must have come down to Matsuzaka's desire to pitch in the good ole' US of A. If history has taught us anything, it's that Scott Boras wouldn't have accepted this deal - but Scott Boras doesn't get to say yes or no to the offers, and Matsuzaka thought that nearly $9 million a year was good enough.

He's right of course - that kind of salary is something most of us can only dream of. It's a credit to Matsuzaka that he signed off on the deal. But if I were Boras, I'd feel a bit shamefaced right now, because this deal doesn't look like a victory for him. It is, without question, a victory for the Red Sox (and kudos to the front office guys for actually flying, uninvited, to California in order to get this thing done) and also for baseball fans. By all accounts, Matsuzaka is a great pitcher - and I look forward to watching him play.

In the end, it cost about $103 million, including the posting fee, to get Matsuzaka for 6 years. And in this market, that really doesn't look so bad. Make no mistake - the Red Sox beat Boras.