Japanese slugger Hideki Matsui, the World Series Most Valuable Player for the New York Yankees, signed a one-year contract worth US$6.5 million with the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday.
The deal sends the 35-year-old free agent designated hitter to the AL West division champions whom the Yankees defeated in the first round of the playoffs on their way to a record 27th Major League Baseball crown.
“I’m very excited,” Matsui said through a translator. “This is the beginning of a new journey for me. I’d like to do my best in every way I can to bring another world championship to this team since they won in 2002.”
“In the end, Hideki chose to accept Angels offer rather than wait for Yankees to decide whether they wanted to bring him back,” Matsui’s agent, Arn Tellum, said. “Failure to act quickly might have caused LA to withdraw its offer and forced Hideki to sign with a weaker team, thus forfeiting a shot at another World Series.”
Matsui batted .274, belted 28 home runs and drove in 90 runs for the Yankees last season, when he made US$13 million, then went 8-for-13 with three homers and eight runs batted in during the championship series.
“We are excited to have a player with talent that Hideki brings,” Angeles general manager Tony Reagins said. “He is a professional hitter and we look forward to seeing him in an Angels uniform in 2010.”
RECORD
The Japanese star matched a World Series record by bringing in six runs in the decisive sixth game as the Yankees defeated defending champion Philadelphia four games to two in the best-of-seven final.
Matsui figures to replace Vladimir Guerrero at designated hitter for the Angels, who have won division crowns in five of the past six seasons but have not reached the World Series since winning it in 2002.
“He’s a left-handed hitter that can play against anyone,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “The impact he will have on our lineup, it will be felt right away.”
In an internet posting at Huffington Post, Tellum said that Scioscia wants Matsui, who has a history of knee troubles, to play as a left-fielder once or twice a week in addition to designated hitter duties.
“It’s going to be contingent on his health and how Hideki feels,” Scioscia said. “It’s much more important for us to have his presence in the lineup swinging the bat everyday than it is to try to ask him to go play the outfield if it’s something he’s not ready for.”
“That being said, we’re a much deeper team and have many more options if he can go play the outfield whenever we need, two to three days a week,” he said.
Meanwhile, two award-winning pitchers also changed teams.
The four-team, nine-player megatrade became official on Wednesday, with the Toronto Blue Jays sending 2003 Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay to the Philadelphia Phillies, who in turn dealt last year’s Cy Young winner Cliff Lee to the Seattle Mariners.
Halladay got a US$60 million, three-year contract extension through 2013 in exchange for waiving his no-trade clause, and Toronto paid Philadelphia US$6 million as part of the swap. Seven prospects changed hands, with the Oakland Athletics also part of the mix.
“This is where we wanted to be,” Halladay said in Philadelphia. “It was an easy decision for me. Once the opportunity came up for me to be part of this, it was something I couldn’t pass up.”
WINNERS
Two Cy Young winners had never been traded on the same day. And that wasn’t the only big deal.
The Boston Red Sox finalized a US$82.5 million, five-year contract for pitcher John Lackey and a US$15.5 million, two-year agreement for outfielder Mike Cameron.
The Red Sox also must resolve whether the Mike Lowell-to-Texas trade will go through and have been discussing whether to acquire Adrian Gonzalez from the San Diego Padres, a deal that could sent Clay Buchholz and/or Jacoby Ellsbury to the Padres.
Also, the Milwaukee Brewers completed a US$7.5 million, two-year contract with reliever LaTroy Hawkins. Detroit agreed to a US$2.5 million, two-year deal with infielder Ramon Santiago, who had been eligible for salary arbitration.
Halladay is considered by many the top starting pitcher in MLB. He was sent to the two-time National League champion Phillies for three minor leaguers: Catcher Travis d’Arnaud, pitcher Kyle Drabek and outfielder Michael Taylor.
Philadelphia dealt Lee to Seattle for three prospects: pitchers Phillippe Aumont and Juan Ramirez, and outfielder Tyson Gillies.
Toronto flipped Taylor to the Athletics for third baseman Brett Wallace.
“When you have the opportunity to acquire a pitcher of Cliff’s caliber, immediate effects are [obvious],” Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik said. “Did I think we’d be getting a guy of this caliber? You always set your expectations high. We’re really glad it came to fruition.”
Yu Yao-hsing on Tuesday nabbed Taiwan’s only goal in the final round of qualifiers for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, as they fell 3-1 to Sri Lanka at Taipei Municipal Stadium. Early goals from Sri Lanka in the first half left Taiwan struggling to get on the board, and Christopher Tiao’s own goal at 53 minutes sealed the team’s fate in the third round of qualifiers. While acknowledging that the defeat, Taiwan’s sixth in Group D, was disappointing, head coach Matt Ross said he saw reasons to stay positive about the team’s development. “There were lots of positive signs in terms of the
Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli yesterday vowed to “keep raising the bar” after winning the Japanese Grand Prix to become the youngest driver in Formula One history to lead the championship standings. The 19-year-old Italian took advantage of a mid-race safety car to jump into the lead after a dreadful start from pole position, crossing the line ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Antonelli’s Suzuka victory came two weeks after the first grand prix win of his career in China, and sent him top of the championship standings after three races, nine points ahead of team-mate George Russell. Mercedes are struggling to
INDIGESTION: Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for a third consecutive time after a 4-1 defeat to Bosnia on penalties in a loss Gattuso said was ‘difficult to digest’ Coach Graham Arnold on Tuesday challenged his players to “shock the world” after Iraq became the 48th and final team to qualify for the FIFA World Cup with a nerve-shredding 2-1 win over Bolivia in an intercontinental playoff in Mexico, as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Sweden and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) also secured their places at the finals. Iraq, whose preparations were disrupted by the war in the Middle East, sealed their first appearance at the finals in 40 years and are to play in Group I against France, Senegal and Norway. Goals from Ali al-Hamadi
Teng Kai-wei, the only Taiwanese player on an opening-day roster in this year’s Major League Baseball (MLB) season, took his first win of the year with the Houston Astros in his season debut. Teng entered in relief in the top of the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday, with the Astros trailing 5-0. He pitched 2-1/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts, as Houston scored 11 runs during his outing to snatch an 11-9 comeback victory. The win is the Astros’ first of the season and the third of Teng’s MLB career. “It’s my first time pitching for the Astros, so
RSS