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Hawks Sign Matsunaka to 7 Year Deal

Discussion in the NPB News forum
Hawks Sign Matsunaka to 7 Year Deal
The Softbank Hawks on Friday signed Matsunaka to a seven year contract. This contract passes BayStars pitcher Daisuke Miura's six year deal for the longest length contract in NPB history.

This year, Matsunaka will make 500 million (5-oku) yen, a 180 million (1.8-oku) yen raise from 2005. Also, the new contract gives Matsunaka the option to rework the financial conditions of his fifth year, or even the option to cancel the contract all together.

[Full Japan Ball Story]
Comments
Re: Hawks Sign Matsunaka to 7 Year Deal
[ Author: Something Lions | Posted: Jan 30, 2006 10:45 AM | SL Fan ]

This Nikkan Sports article (in Japanese) mentions that after the first 4 years at 5-oku per year, yes the deal can be reworked, but there's also a -50% "minus incentive" club option and the club can even buy out (or is it just an outright cancel?) the contract at that point (though he's offered a coaching/front office position with the club after retirement, as part of this package). Looks more like a 4 year deal with options beyond that that are not guaranteed.

[Fixed broken link on Jan 30, 2006 2:54 PM JST]
Re: Hawks Sign Matsunaka to 7 Year Deal
[ Author: himself | Posted: Jan 30, 2006 2:11 PM | FSH Fan ]

This deal reminds me of an NFL contract, where not all the years are guaranteed. The Hawks might be afraid that his form will decline as he ages, but he'll surely be good for another four or five years, if not all seven years of the contract.
Re: Hawks Sign Matsunaka to 7 Year Deal
[ Author: westbaystars | Posted: Jan 30, 2006 3:03 PM | YBS Fan ]

After watching Matsunaka hobble the bases during the playoffs last Fall, I was concerned whether or not he'd be fit to put up numbers near the past two seasons for another single year. I'm very unsure about getting 5-oku yen worth of batting(*) for another four years.

* Note: Part of that 5-oku yen salary is for Matsunaka's role as team leader, which he's very much deserving of. But he has to say healthy and off the disabled list to contribute in this way as well. Again, this is a major concern of mine.
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