Red Sox make offer to Matsuzaka

TOKYO -- The Red Sox have made an offer to pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka that Boston president Larry Lucchino describes as "fair" and "comprehensive."

Lucchino, in Tokyo on Tuesday after meeting with representatives of Matsuzaka's Seibu Lions, said the Red Sox have taken the next step toward signing the Japanese star.

"We have sent a formal offer to Matsuzaka and his agent Scott Boras," Lucchino said. "I believe it is fair and comprehensive, and offers a great deal of security and a substantial level of compensation."

Boston bid $51.1 million for the right to negotiate with Matsuzaka, who was the MVP of last spring's World Baseball Classic. The team has until the end of Dec. 14 to sign him.

“We are hopeful the negotiations process will complete itself fairly quickly, but knowing human nature we have a 30-day period," Lucchino said.

"One of the reasons we came here was to make clear to the Japanese baseball community, to Seibu and to the Matsuzaka fans that we are determined to sign Matsuzaka-san."

In his meetings with Seibu officials, Lucchino said he discussed the possibility of the Red Sox and the Lions forming a long-term "working relationship."

Such a relationship could help facilitate a deal if contract talks stall. Media reports have said the sides are far apart in early negotiations.

If the Red Sox don't sign Matsuzaka, his rights returns to the Lions. To avoid that, Seibu could reduce the bid to help the sides reach a deal.

Lucchino brushed aside suggestions that the bid was made just to block the New York Yankees from signing Matsuzaka.

"I assure you that the notion that this is a primarily defensive maneuver is preposterous," Lucchino said, adding that 51.1 million is "obviously a historical number but we are talking about a national living treasure and an exceptional baseball player."

Lucchino sounded confident that a deal will be reached.

"We know it's been his dream to play in the major leagues and we are proud that he will live out his dream in Boston with the Boston Red Sox," Lucchino said.

Lucchino said he had asked Boras for permission to talk with the pitcher during his Japan visit but had received no reply.

Matsuzaka and Boras met with Red Sox executives, including Lucchino, in the Los Angeles area this month.

The hard-throwing Matsuzaka, with 200 strikeouts last season and a 108-60 career record, spent eight years as Seibu's top pitcher and led the team to a championship in 2004.

He was selected MVP of the inaugural World Baseball Classic in March after pitching Japan to the title.

In what may have been Matsuzaka's Japan farewell, 36,000 fans came to the Seibu dome last week to watch him in an intrasquad game.

Information from Reuters news service was used in this report.