Daisuke Matsuzaka: Worth $103 Million?

Speculation has always struck me as futile, but with the arrival of Daisuke Matsuzaka, and all the hype that has followed, you can’t help but be curious about how he will perform. Japanese pitchers in Major League Baseball are relatively new, and their success has been limited, so the question is: have the Red Sox discovered a gem from overseas?

Daisuke, pronounced Dice-K, Matsuzaka has dominated Japanese hitters in the past years with a devastating eight-pitch repertoire. His stats draw comparisons to Pedro during his Boston years and so does his price. The Red Sox coughed up an astounding $51.1 million just for the right to talk to him, outbidding the Yankees and Mets. Boston then signed him to a six-year $52 million contract.

Unlike previous Japanese players to come to America, Daisuke has proven his worth against competition outside Japan, for he was the MVP of the World Baseball Classic. During the WBC he faced powerful teams and was still able to find success, this is a promising sign for the Red Sox.

Matsuzaka is known for his superhuman arm, which seems to never tire. His thirteen complete games in 2006 are unheard of in American baseball since the dead ball era. He regularly throws 170 pitches in a game, roughly 50 more than the average Major League pitcher; and after he will throw another 100 or so pitches in a bullpen toss. It is normal for him to play 300-foot long toss and then complete a 300-pitch bullpen session. The most impressive thing about him is that his shoulder was perfect in all the cat-scan pictures.

The big concern is when will he throw his last pitch, when he is 31 or 40? Japanese pitchers who transfer to the U.S. are infamous for only pitching into their early thirties. Matsuzaka, who is 26, is in his prime now, but how many good years does he have left?

Daisuke has pitched well during spring training and appears to be ready for the season. He is currently 1-1 this spring with a 2.84 ERA and has 13 strikeouts in 12.2 innings pitched.

Boston hopes that Matsuzaka will live up to his reputation and be a key component of what looks to be possibly best starting rotation in baseball. He is prepared for a huge season and all signs are pointing upwards. Speculation is useless, however, as all our questions will be answered opening day.