I agree with your reason #1 moreso than reason #2. I don't know if tapping into the Asian market is that much of an issue to clubs on the East Coast. However, the rivalry between the Yankees and the Red Sox is enough that it wouldn't surprise me that the Red Sox were motivated to outdo the Yankees. Both teams have been guilty of such actions more often than not.
Still, that's too much to simply have the right to negotiate a contract with him. For all they know he might be the next Hideki Irabu.
There's always left-handed starter Kei Igawa of the Hanshin Tigers, who will also post soon and shouldn't be as expensive. He's 27 years old, has a 93 mph fastball and 3 strikeout titles. He fanned 194 this season, was a 20 game winner in 2003 and was 14-9 this season with a 2.97 ERA. With Jaime Moyer in Philly and Gil Meche being allowed to walk as a free agent, Seattle can't afford to let him pass by, IMO.
Jason Schmidt, Barry Zito, Greg Maddux and Mark Mulder seem to top everyone's pitching list, with Miguel Batista, Ted Lilly, Adam Eaton, Jeff Weaver, Jason Marquis, Jeff Suppan, Steve Traschel, Andy Pettitte, Woody Williams and Chan Ho Park being in the middle of the pack.
No one here impresses me, really. Some of them are reclamation projects. Maybe this is why teams were willing to spend money to talk to Matsuzaka. What else is out there?
