51.1 million dollars. Thats how much the Red Sox paid simply to have a conversation with Japanese phenom Daisuke Matsuzaka. If it wasn't clear to you by now that some sort of revenue structure and salary cap was needed in Major League Baseball then this should be proof plenty. There will probably be 6-8 teams who don't even spend that much on their entire player payroll for the 2007 season, yet the Red Sox are paying that much simply for the negotiating rights to one pitcher. Thats not even taking into account the 30-40 million dollar contract he will inevitably sign. By way of comparison the Mariners paid a winning bid in the neighborhood of 13 million to get the rights for Ichiro, the last Japanese star of this magnitude to be posted via this system. Is Matsuzka 3 times the player Ichiro is? Unlikely considering all Ichiro did in his first season in Seattle was win the Rookie of the Year award AND MVP.
The fact is the revenue sharing plan is working and major league teams are more financially successful then at any time in their history. Even the small kids on the block have millions of dollars more to spend then ever before. Something has to be done to slow this spiral of fiscal insanity and a salary cap or some form of stricter salary structure is the only possible answer..
Sadly, however MLB just barely ratified a new Collective Bargaining agreement that does not contain any form of salary cap. So for the time being at least things aren't going to change and the Red Sox and Yankees of the world can throw money around like its going out of style.
Good luck to you Mr. Matsuzaka. No player in the history of baseball has ever had to pitch not only with the weight of his country on his shoulders, but a 100 million dollar bag of silver hanging from his belt.
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