On Sunday, it was reported that Hedecki Matsui might be close to a deal to play with the A’s. The addition of the 36-year-old heavy hitter Matsui would add some much needed pop to the 2011 lineup.
The San Francisco Chronicle wrote that, “Matsui, 36, has not drawn interest from many other teams and has expressed a desire to play for the A’s. He should get his wish if no other suitors come calling in the next few days. “Godzilla” batted .274 with 21 homers and 84 RBI last season. He would obviously serve as the club’s DH if signed by the A’s.” During his MLB career, he has been a consistent good hitter as evident by his .290 BA and 161 home runs. He is thought to be shopping around for a two-year contract.
During the winter meetings in Florida last week, Billy Beane was able to wrangle a meeting with Matsui’s agent, Arn Tellum. Tellum’s client has expressed interest in staying on the West Coast and maybe cutting a deal with the A’s. Tellem would not comment on the possible deal, but has said that Matsui is looking for a ball club that is going to give him alot more playing time.
Oakland is going after Matsui because they were they unable to broker a deal with their #1 choice DH Lance Berkman, who signed as a free agent with the Cardinals last week.
On December 6th, Tellem told MLB.com that Matsui wants to play on a consistent basis and be on team that has a real chance of being competitive, a team that exhudes positivity.
This will be a good move for both Matsui and the A’s because he brings both his championship leadership and provides some much needed mentorship to the younger players. It is said that during his time with the Yankees he was highly admired by both the team and it’s fans. On top of that admiration, he was named 2009 World Series Championship’s MVP with the Yankees when they faced off against the Phillies.
Fans will have to wait on bated breath, because A’s Management has yet to either confirm or deny the deal.
Update: Reports are surfacing that Matsui and the A’s will sign a contract tonight with the official announcemnt coming down on Tuesday, pending a physical.