November 15, 2006 at 12:26 AM
Red Sox win bid on Daisuke Matsuzaka
With a record bid the Boston Red Sox won the rights to negotiate with Japanese star pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka. The Red Sox bid of $51.1 million easily topped the previous record of $13.125 million for Seattle outfielder Ichiro Suzuki. The 26 year old right hander was 17-5 with a 2.13 ERA for the Seibu Lions of Japan's Pacific League in 2006. Now the Red Sox have 30 days to finalize a deal with Matsuzaka or risk the return of the Japanese ace to the Seibu Lions for the 2007 season.