BEIJING, Dec. 14 (Xinhuanet) -- Most business deals in Japan are consumated
on the golf course, but in the case of baseball pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka the
deal between the Japanese ace and Boston Red Sox was finalized Wednesday on a
private airplane belonging to Sox owner John Henry.
The deal calls for Boston to pay 51.1 million U.S. dollars to the
Seibu Lions for the rights to Matsuzaka, and 52 million dollars over six years
to Matsuzaka. He gets a 2 million dollar signing bonus, 6 million dollars
next year, 8 million dollars in each of the following three seasons and 10
million dollars in each of the final two years.
"Theo and I were still negotiating terms when we arrived," agent Scott
Boras said after a long day of talks with general manager Theo Epstein, "We
finalized the deal when he arrived in Boston."
The Red Sox planned a 5 p.m. news conference Thursday to announce the deal,
a person familiar with the talks said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Henry declined comment late Wednesday night.
"Tomorrow at Fenway," he said in an e-mail to The Associated Press.
The Red Sox won the bidding for Matsuzaka's rights last month, but
they had just 30 days until midnight EST Thursday to negotiate a contract with
Boras or the right-hander would return to Japan and Boston would keep its money.
Boras said the final negotiating session began at about 5:30 a.m. PST
Wednesday, and within 90 minutes he was confident there would be an agreement.
"Daisuke really had three choices," Boras said. "He could sign now. He
could wait another year or he could wait two years and become a free agent. He
had to determine how much money he was willing to give up now."
(Agencies)
