Everything about 2007 off-season(last year) was Matsuzaka this and Matsuzaka that. In a big way, Matsuzaka has built a way for the Japanese studs in NPB to the MajorLeagues. Could it be because Ichiro and Matsui was doing so well in Seattle and New York? Yes that is part of it. But the “monster with gyroball” who, the Boston Redsox spent more than $100,000,000 to sign and basically beg for Seibu Lions to give some money back, has a huge HUGE impact on Free Agent Japanese baseball players this 2008 off-season.
Top Japanese players in MLB who were signed in 2007:
Daisuke Matsuzaka~ 15-12 4.40 220Ks
Hideki Okajima~ 3-2 5SV 2.22 63Ks
The Boston Redsox’s success in making these two Nipponese studs into first rate MajorLeague players, is going to make way for further Asian players to sign with MLB teams.
MLB Asian 
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