That's be awesome. One more clog in the DH spot, and one less spot for a Holliday or Bay.

It's an interesting point I hadn't thought of, but I don't think there's much to it. Cashman was shopping Hideki last off-season. At one point it looked like the Giants might be a trading partner. My guess is that Hideki is playing in Seattle next year.

I thought international revenues were shared anyway. The partnership with Manchester United is different - it's programming for YES. But what do the Yankees gain by marketing to Japan except a few additional tourists going to New New Yankee Stadium?

you don’t give up the biggest baseball star in Japan.

Is Matsui or Ichiro bigger in Japan?

Matsui is so money. He's just so a lot less money than he made last year. At least to the Yankees.

EDIT: And, I believe, the entire National League

Is Matsui or Ichiro bigger in Japan?

Depends. Ichiro was bigger before the year started because Matsui was coming off a couple of injury years, and Ichiro was one of the stars of the WBC which is a lot bigger in Japan than in the U.S. But Matsui was the one who played in the playoffs, and was the WS MVP.

I thought international revenues were shared anyway.

Not the in-stadium ads.

People assuming that Matsui wants to play with Ichiro in Seattle now that he's a free agent is the kind of sweet-natured, good old-fashioned, well-meaning racism that I've almost missed in this post-racial America.

Yeah, never mind the fact that the Mariners are also owned by a Japanese owner who take care of Japanese players. Or how we forgot about Kenji Johjima.

People assuming that Matsui wants to play with Ichiro in Seattle now that he's a free agent is the kind of sweet-natured, good old-fashioned, well-meaning racism that I've almost missed in this post-racial America.

huh, I thought the assumption was based on the fact that Seattle actually needs offense and he'd be an upgrade at DH. Add the fact that I believe Seattle has a substantial Japanese (is it racist to assert or say this?) following and he's a Japanese (sorry I have to use this word again)baseball icon and it might make a little sense (in a racist way?)that the Mariners, a team that has had a few Japanese (!!!!) players in recent days, would go after him. Of course, Hideki probably prefers to play where the most money is offered, but Seattle has money and the need and maybe even the extra-baseball performance desire.

The Ichiro-Matsui comparison used to be that Ichiro was more popular with Japan as a whole, and Matsui was more popular with baseball fans, because he was a Yomiuri Giant, and the Giants have the most fans.

Now Matsui is no longer a Giant, so he doesn't even get the Giant bump anymore. His MLB career, while good, has largely been unremarkable. Ichiro, on the other hand, led his team to 116 wins, was ROY and MVP, has made the All-Star team every year of his MLB career, has won a Gold Glove every year of his MLB career, was the All-Star Game MVP, broke the MLB single season hits record, broke the record for career hits by a Japanese player, has 2000 hits in MLB alone, has gotten 200 hits a record nine straight seasons, led two WBC winning teams (Matsui hasn't even played), in the last WBC hit the go-ahead single that carried Japan past hated rival Korea, and was carried off the field by the Mariners this year, despite not going to the play-offs. He's been offered the People's Honor Award (conferred by the Prime Minister) twice, and refused both times. His news presence compared to other Japanese major leaguers is dominating.

Matsui will get a well-deserved bump with the Yankees winning the World Series and being World Series MVP. But he probably won't even be re-signed by the Yankees. Ichiro has the "big in Japan" match wrapped up for the rest of their careers.

Ichiro is more popular, for the aforementioned WBC reasoning.

Basically, it's gone like this:

Pre-2006: Matsui generally more popular, with Ichiro considered something of an aloof guy with great skills and all but not with widespread appeal.

2006: Matsui says "no" to the WBC despite being asked by none other than Sadaharu Oh himself. Ichiro, meanwhile, is the clubhouse leader of the WBC championship team. Ichiro's popularity soars, Matsui's popularity plummets.

2006-2009: Matsui declines and has injury problems, Ichiro remains steady. In 2009, Ichiro once again is a WBC hero while Matsui is out with a injury.

2009 WS: Matusi wins MVP. Once again is a hero to Japan. But more than Ichiro? Doubt it.

Expect plenty of talk casting Matsui as a warrior, a new era Paul O’Neill when he gets his new deal.

Great call. What with O'Neill's legendary Zen-like stoicism and all.

I doubt marketing will be that much of a factor, although I'm not so sure that the need for A-Rod & Posada to DH a bit necessitates dumping Matsui. A-Rod's backup (probably Hairston again) won't hit nearly as well as Matsui, so it's a net loss of offensive ability when A-Rod DHs. Same is true for Posada unless Montero moves up and contributes early. Even if you add Damon as another aging regular that will need time at DH, there are still about 100 games where the Yanks could use a regular DH. If Matsui could be signed for one year (with a modest buyout of an option year), the Yanks would be stronger than if they went with a rotating DH of resting regulars and bench players. Of course, there aren't that many situations where a player who can command a multi-year contract just takes one year.

"I doubt marketing will be that much of a factor, although I'm not so sure that the need for A-Rod & Posada to DH a bit necessitates dumping Matsui. A-Rod's backup (probably Hairston again) won't hit nearly as well as Matsui, so it's a net loss of offensive ability when A-Rod DHs. Same is true for Posada unless Montero moves up and contributes early. Even if you add Damon as another aging regular that will need time at DH, there are still about 100 games where the Yanks could use a regular DH. If Matsui could be signed for one year (with a modest buyout of an option year), the Yanks would be stronger than if they went with a rotating DH of resting regulars and bench players. Of course, there aren't that many situations where a player who can command a multi-year contract just takes one year."


And to add to this if Matsui could play 15 games in left and 10 in right(with Swish at first)it would keep him in the lineup more.

Also does he really WANT to share a locker room with Ichiro?I doubt it.

Ichiro has the "big in Japan" match wrapped up

But will he stay forever young?