The Royals look to be well on their way to a third straight 100-loss season, but do not think measures are not being taken. Kansas City was one of five teams in Japan to scout pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka.
Matsuzaka is a 26-year-old right-hander for the Seibu Lions. He’s 17-4 with a 1.89 ERA this season. There’s a good chance he could be posted by the Lions after the season. If a player is “posted,” major league teams must wait until Nov.1 before they can submit a bid to the Lions for permission to negotiate with Matsuzaka.
The Lions will select which bid is best for them and then work a deal with that major league team. If no deal is made, the Lions can’t post Matsuzaka again until the following Nov. 1. Seibu only gets paid if a deal is reached between the major league team and Matsuzaka.