From today’s Globe:
For all the positive vibes generated by the dinner, negotiations on a contract may yet take on a different tenor. Neither side is willing to discuss publicly the course talks are taking, but it should not be considered a fait accompli that Matsuzaka will be in a Boston uniform next season. Do the Red Sox want him? Absolutely. Does the player want to play in the major leagues? No doubt.
Are there considerable obstacles to a deal? Yes, the primary one being a difference of opinion in how Boras believes his client should be paid and how the Sox calculate his value. Boras is expected to seek a contract similar to that given the elite pitchers in the majors today, which means at least eight figures a year, and he probably will want a clause making Matsuzaka a free agent after just three years, perhaps four at the most.
“A difference of opinion in how Boras believes his client should be paid and how the Sox calculate his value”? Go figure!
