Let the Absurdity Commence

The annual free agent war between the Yankees and Red Sox is ready to begin with both teams set to make offers as high as $20 million for the opportunity just to talk to phenom Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Now I know nothing about Matsuzaka (this guy appears to know everything) but I have to admit to being a little bit skeptical about spending all this money just because Bobby Valentine seems to think he can play.

I wonder if anyone has taken the time to consider that Matsuzaka was throwing 100 mph in 2004, but now sits at 92. You think he has been overworked a little? Don’t give me that, “he just understands how to pitch now” nonsense. If he could still throw that hard, he would.

The guy appears to be celebrated because of his ability to throw a ton of pitches. He once threw something like 27 innings over three days in high school. Don’t doctors trace Kerry Wood’s problems back to overuse in high school?

Right now, I can’t buy into the hype.

Scouting reports call him a bulldog and say he makes great adjustments. I certainly hope those aren’t the same scouts that labeled Carl Pavano tough as nails or Paxton Crawford mound savvy.

It just seems like there’s too much of a chance for disappointment here. Why roll the dice on Matsuzaka when the far more logical move would be to pursue Barry Zito or Jason Schmidt? Even if he delivers as advertised, he’s still not going to be that much more effective than those two.

For the Highest Bidder, a Rising Superstar Awaits – New York Times