SPORTS: This Week's News and Happenings

MLB
The Yankees had an answer to Boston's $51 million bid for Daisuke Matsuzaka, offering a reported $25 million for the rights to negotiate with LHP Kei Igawa. This was one of many Hot Stove happenings in the past 48 hours. MLB Trade Rumors nicely recaps all of the signings and rumors, including the Cubs 3-year, $45-million offer to RHP Jason Schmidt, the Cardinals signing of 2B Adam Kennedy and more on Igawa.

Prospect Insider spoke with an American scout who saw Igawa in Japan, and the YouTube video below backs up his report. You see a decent fastball that has downward action, a quality slider that actually flattens out and gets pounded by David Wright in the video and arm action that's very condusive to a change-up.



NBA
Bobby Jackson was fined $20,000 by the league for being ejected and verbally abusing officials in a loss at Dallas on Saturday. "I think the officials have to be reprimanded just like we get reprimanded," Jackson poignantly noted. Maybe you're right, but maybe you should make your case without dropping F-bombs and making a spectacle of yourself and officials in front of 20,00 fans? ... the Clippers and Mike Dunleavy agreed on a four-year contract extension on Monday, and it came just in time for a five-game losing streak and a fall to the cellar of the Pacific Division ... Check out scores from around the league and updated standings that feature the 5-8 Celtics at the top of the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division. Wow.

NFL
Falcons QB Michael Vick was fined $20,000 for his postgame antics after the team's 31-13 loss to New Orleans on Sunday. As head coach Jim Mora points out in this video clip from Fox Sports though, "Vick has courage and the heart of a lion." Unfortunately, he also has the middle finger of an angry and drunken Dutch prostitute and is quicker on the draw than Lightning Jack.

MLB: The New New York Yankees

By Steve Cernak

Rumor has it that teams are contacting the Yankees about SP Carl Pavano, the player the Yanks paid $20+ million to rehab “injuries.”

This follows a couple of great trades from the Yanks perspective. GM Brian Cashman has done a great job in his first off-season with complete behind-the-scenes control.

RF Gary Sheffield was traded for SP Humberto Sanchez, RP Kevin Whelan and RP Anthony Claggett. Considering the Yankees have RF Bobby Abreu and need to find the young and gifted Melky Cabrera ABs, the Yanks did well acquiring Sanchez. He is one of the best pitching prospects in all of baseball.

Cashman traded SP Jaret Wright and $4 million to Baltimore for RP Chris Britton. What is amazing about this deal is Wright could be bought out for $4 million. The Yankees got a nice, young player for what they would have spent in a buyout.

Most baseball observers expected the Yankees play to pursue SP Daisuke Matsuzaka. Instead, the Red Sox committed $40+ million for the right to negotiate with Matsuzaka. Now, they’ll pay him what he wants, which I’m sure everyone in Yankeeland is ecstatic about. Does anyone remember Hideki Irabu, the next Roger Clemens? Everyone expects greatness from Matsuzaka, but what if he isn’t? Likely, Matsuzaka will perform at a high level, but $90+ million to find out?

While the Yankees arch nemesis makes the power moves the Yankees typically do, Cashman directs his team to make quality baseball decisions. He stockpiled young arms to break in at the major league level while the devastating Yankee lineup will protect the pitchers.

Talk about a great Yankee off-season that is so untypical of George Steinbrenner’s teams.

MLB: Free Agency and the Race for Daisuke Matsuzaka

Dustin Hockensmith: What has baseball free agency come to in the 21st century? Dry markets, especially for pitching, have been a source of desperation for Major League clubs looking to improve, and now there's a $30 million price tag simply to negotiate with Daisuke Matsuzaka??

DegenerateGambler: Something has definitely changed over the past decade or so. A combination of fewer reliable front-end starters, along with longer contracts for guys who do fit that mold, have put teams in a tough spot. $30 million to talk to a guy? From what I have seen, it just might be worth it.

DH: Every season seems to yield a more dismal crop of free agents for all the reasons you just mentioned. With a nasty repertoire and some success in the World Baseball Classic that should translate pretty smoothly to the Majors, Matsuzaka is certainly the crown jewel of this year's free agent crop. The top American free agent, Barry Zito, is a former Cy Young winner, but he is also annually listed among the American League leaders in walks. Each and every pitcher is a question mark in his own way, so looking to Japan and a mega talent in Matsuzaka is very logical.

DG: The guy is 26-years old and has already pitched professionally for eight years. He started off strong with a 16-win, Rookie of the Year performance in Japan and hasn't looked back. His numbers have only gotten better and his control has followed suit. Over the past two seasons, Matsuzaka has averaged 16 wins, a 2.21 ERA, 213 Ks and only 42 BBs. That 5:1 strikeout to walk ratio is something Zito could only dream of.

DH: That 5:1 strikeout ratio would mean that Barry Zito is drinking the Barry Bonds Kool-Aid and striking out 500 guys per year. What all this means, though, is that general managers must be more creative to address needs and covet their young pitching even more than they already do. Much like the Red Sox did last season when they over-addressed their need for pitching by trading for Josh Beckett, we'll still likely see a team sacrifice long-term success for a shot to win now.

DG: Well, with the early rumors giving him a potential $50 million contract, and another $30 million going to the Seibu Lions in Japan, there aren't many teams with a shot at signing Matsuzuka. Basically, the only teams in the running will be the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox and maybe the Cubs or Angels as long shots. $80 million is a big price to pay for one piece of the huge puzzle that is an MLB team.

DH: That's where the game is heading with such an immense premium on pitching. Pitching prospects are more difficult to project and develop than position players, primarily due to injury risk. Pitching free agents will continue to fetch big time money on the market, and we'll all continue to wish that our talents were throwing a baseball, rather than writing mediocre sports articles.