Boston Red Sox vs. Seattle Mariners Tickets

Boston Red Sox Tickets
Boston Red Sox Schedule
Fenway Park Seating Chart
City of Palms Park Map
Red Sox Spring Training
Red Sox Fort Myers
Red Sox Information
Boston Red Sox History
Red Sox World Series
Red Sox 2007 Tickets
Red Sox Season Tickets
Red Sox vs. Yankees
Boston Red Sox Logo
Boston Red Sox Roster
Fenway Park Parking
Fenway Park Directions
Boston Red Sox Stadium

Boston Red Sox News:

In Deceber 2006, the Boston Red Sox signed Daisuke Matsuzaka to a 6 year deal. Matsuzaka gets a $2 million signing bonus, $6 million Boston Reds Sox vs. Seattle Mariners tickets next year, $8 million in each of the following three seasons and $10 million in each of the final two years. The agreement includes $8 million in Boston Reds Sox vs. Seattle Mariners tickets escalators based on awards that could bring the total to $60 million over six years.

Both sides had a deadline of midnight EST on Thursday to get a deal done or Matsuzaka would have had to return to Japan.

Red Sox chairman Tom Werner, president Larry Lucchino and general manager Theo Epstein landed Boston Reds Sox vs. Seattle Mariners tickets in John Henry's private jet with Matsuzaka and his Boston Reds Sox vs. Seattle Mariners tickets agent Scott Boras Wednesday evening at Hanscom Field after a marathon negotiating session on the plane and at Boras' Boston Reds Sox vs. Seattle Mariners tickets office in southern California.

Boras said the final negotiating session began at about 5:30 a.m. in California on Wednesday, Boston Reds Sox vs. Seattle Mariners tickets and within 90 minutes he was confident there would be an agreement.

"Daisuke really had three Boston Reds Sox vs. Seattle Mariners tickets choices," Boras said. "He could sign now. He could wait another year or he could wait two years and become a free agent. He had to Boston Reds Sox vs. Seattle Mariners tickets determine how much money he was willing to give up now."

Several dozen fans were at Hanscom to greet Matsuzaka, who waved and smiled as he was Boston Reds Sox vs. Seattle Mariners tickets driven away from the airport in an SUV. He appeared surprised by the Boston Reds Sox vs. Seattle Mariners tickets fans and media presence.

"WELCOME HOME DAISUKE," read one sign held by two 17-year-old girls.

The SUV stopped briefly Boston Reds Sox vs. Seattle Mariners tickets alongside the girls, and he smiled at them, before being whisked away to Massachusetts General Hospital for a physical to finalize the deal.

"I was so psyched. Because there was a small crowd, we got to see him close," said Kim Miner Boston Reds Sox vs. Seattle Mariners tickets of Concord, who was standing alongside Rebecca Powell, also of Concord.

Epstein set his own deadline of Wednesday morning to allow time for Matsuzaka to have a physical Boston Reds Sox vs. Seattle Mariners tickets in Boston before a contract is finalized.

Epstein and Lucchino had flown from Boston to southern California Monday on Henry's jet to meet face-to-face with Matsuzaka and Boras after talks had stalled.

Matsuzaka has a 108-60 career record in Japan with a 2.95 ERA and 1,355 Boston Reds Sox vs. Seattle Mariners tickets strikeouts in 204 games.

Seattle Mariners News:

Even before the market for free-agent pitchers became "volcanic," as Seattle general manager Bill Bavasi noted last week, Miguel Batista had a good idea of Boston Reds Sox vs. Seattle Mariners tickets where he fit in the landscape of the marketplace.

"We started with 20 [teams]," Batista said. "I felt like a 15-year-old girl. ... I can choose who I'm Boston Reds Sox vs. Seattle Mariners tickets going to marry. I had a lot of options."

In the end, the 35-year-old Batista signed a three-year deal with Seattle on Thursday worth $25 million, despite the fact that Batista, according to Bavasi, Boston Reds Sox vs. Seattle Mariners tickets had a more "substantial offer" to sign elsewhere after the two sides agreed to the deal.

"He's a man of his word," Bavasi said.

And now the Mariners Boston Reds Sox vs. Seattle Mariners tickets hope that Batista, who turns 36 in February, can give the team the kind of durability he's shown in recent years and that kind of success Boston Reds Sox vs. Seattle Mariners tickets that has made him a double-figure winner four times in the last six seasons.

"Miguel brings to us a guy Boston Reds Sox vs. Seattle Mariners tickets -- when given the opportunity to start -- who logs innings and is an efficient guy on the mound with his pitches," Bavasi said. " Boston Reds Sox vs. Seattle Mariners tickets He's a plus-pitcher when it comes to effectiveness and stamina. That's not easy to find."

Batista might not have Boston Reds Sox vs. Seattle Mariners tickets been the high-profile free-agent pitcher Seattle initially wanted to land during the offseason, but he certainly became a viable option Boston Reds Sox vs. Seattle Mariners tickets after Bavasi met with him in the Dominican Republic two weeks ago Boston Reds Sox vs. Seattle Mariners tickets while watching some of the team's young talent in winter ball and Boston Reds Sox vs. Seattle Mariners tickets while talking with soon-to-be Mariners outfielder Jose Guillen.

Batista, who said he was impressed with the Mariners last season during Interleague Play, was Boston Reds Sox vs. Seattle Mariners tickets intrigued about the prospect of playing for Seattle and its core of young players like pitcher Felix Hernandez, second baseman Boston Reds Sox vs. Seattle Mariners tickets Jose Lopez and shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt.

Match up News: Opening day (series) at Fenway Park in 2007 will be an amazing series. If Matsuzaka is a starter in one of those games, Matsuzaka's first pitch Boston Reds Sox vs. Seattle Mariners tickets could be against a fellow Japan star, Ichiro Suzuki. That would be an amazing moment in sports history as 2 of the top athletes from Japan Boston Reds Sox vs. Seattle Mariners tickets will face eachother in Fenway Park. Ichiro is an amazing athlete and a lead off hitter for the Mariners and Matsuzaka is a pitching Boston Reds Sox vs. Seattle Mariners tickets phenom from Japan.