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Who's your daddy?
That's how my friend Marsha, who has a window on life in Hollywood and has witnessed more than her share of high-powered negotiations, views the current state of affairs for Daisuke Matsuzaka, who essentially has to decide in the next 24 hours whether he will sign with the Red Sox or return to the Seibu Lions, his team in Japan.
Matsuzaka is the object of a power struggle between the Sox, who said they were presenting an improved offer of "considerable magnitude" today, and agent Scott Boras, who has not strayed from his position that the Sox posting bid of $51.1 million should not be a factor in determining how Dice-K is paid. He's one of the best pitchers in the world, Boras says, and should be paid like one.
Is it possible Dice-K -- who has spent the last couple of days, according to Boras, taking a crash course in American Baseball Economics 101, poring over major league contracts, especially those of pitchers -- decides to walk? In their more despairing moments, the Sox fear as much, complaining how Boras has not given them a whiff of a counteroffer. But according to another long-time Boras watcher, this is classic Boras MO.
"Scott doesn't like to get engaged until there is high anxiety. But Scott's a little uncomfortable, because he doesn't have the leverage he normally has. And you also have to remember, there's a different culture involved here. In Japan, they might not appreciate that beating-the-hell-out-of-management, kill-the-hostages approach.''
Sometimes, all a team can do is wait out Boras, who by consensus is the most powerful agent (if not most powerful man) in baseball. Who negotiated baseball's first $100 million deal (Kevin Brown)? Boras. First $200 million deal (Alex Rodriguez), still the richest contract in sports? Boras.
But in 2004, after drafting Jered Weaver No. 1, the Angels made a take-it-or-leave-it offer to Boras, who was advising Weaver: a $4 million signing bonus, or a $5.75 million major league deal. Boras started out asking $10m, then $8m, then $6m. The Angels did nothing. Eleven months later, and within days of going back into the draft, Jered Weaver elected to sign with the Angels. The deal? A $4 million signing bonus.
The Sox have moved off their original offer and are now waiting to take Matsuzaka and Boras back to Boston tomorrow on John Henry's plane so Matsuzaka can undergo a physical. In the end, it's Matsuzaka's call. Who's his daddy? We'll soon find out.
