News, Views, Links and more from the Red Sox Wire.

*** BOSTON GLOBE ***
Now we're talkin' (DAN SHAUGHNESSY) If you are a Red Sox fan, there is much to like about the team's aggressive pursuit of Japanese righthander Daisuke Matsuzaka. The Sox ponied up $51.1 million Tuesday to earn exclusive rights to negotiate with the 26-year-old hurler. For another $40 million or so, they'll snag the best free agent pitcher on the market. A Red Sox starting rotation of Matsuzaka, Jonathan Papelbon, Josh Beckett, Curt Schilling, and Tim Wakefield looks pretty good. As always, there are layers beneath the surface of the deal.

Let's start with the apparent new harmony at the top of the Sox masthead. Theo Epstein and Larry Lucchino may forever suffer from Belichick-Mangini Syndrome, but the united quest for Matsuzaka certainly gives the appearance that the men in the front office are back on the same page. This was not the case in the nuclear winter of 2005-06, and the Sox paid the price in the summer of '06. Read More Here.

No more of a winner than Nomo (GORDON EDES) The benchmark for Daisuke Matsuzaka is Hideo Nomo. Not the incarnation who passed through Boston at age 32 for one season, 2001, although he had some moments of splendor in his brief time here, throwing a no-hitter with 11 strikeouts in Baltimore in his Sox debut, following that up seven weeks later with a one-hit, no-walk, 14-K masterpiece against the Blue Jays, and leading the American League in both whiffs and walks.

Dave Wallace saw the earlier incarnation of Nomo, the Japanese pitcher who took the United States by storm after he bluffed his way to freedom in Japan and signed with the Dodgers, spawning the phenomenon known as Nomomania. Read More Here.

For Sox Nation, a move to the east (DONOVAN SLACK) There was palpable excitement yesterday on a stretch of Beacon Street near Fenway Park, where the local bakery serves Japanese delicacies, lunch menus are heavy on sushi, and the wine shop stocks 37 types of sake. Read More Here.

Drew should cash in (NICK CAFARDO) In the words of former Patriots coach Pete Carroll, agents are feeling "pumped and jacked." There was a buzz in the lobby yesterday of the Naples Grande Resort, site of the general managers meetings, that free agent Alfonso Soriano's price could reach almost $20 million annually and that J.D. Drew's price tag is four years, $56 million.

"That's the money we're hearing," said one National League general manager concerning Drew, a Scott Boras client. "It's getting a little crazy. I don't know if people will pay it, but he's a guy a few teams are eyeing and in the end, they'll probably come close to that."

Will the Red Sox pony up that kind of money for Drew? He is two years younger than Johnny Damon, for whom the team would only go as high as four years, $40 million. There's no question the Red Sox and Boras have had multiple discussions on the soon-to-be 31-year-old right fielder, but Boras has shopped Drew and the Chicago Cubs are seriously interested. Read More Here.

Premium seats a bit pricier (GLOBE STAFF) Premium seats at Fenway Park will be more expensive next season, the Red Sox announced yesterday. The increases will come in the private suites, dugout seats, EMC Club, State Street Pavilion Club, and field boxes. Read More Here.

*** FIREBRAND OF THE AL ***
Problem Solved (ZACH HAYES) Theo Epstein, Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino have appropriately absorbed most of the blame for a season straight from hell. They sacrificed a franchise shortstop and a prized prospect for Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell. They traded a catcher incapable of handling the knuckleball and a gem hidden in the farm system for Doug Mirabelli. The best prospect in the last five years was dealt for Coco Crisp. While it may be too early to judge on some of those decisions, most can agree they have turned out, well, not so great. Add a few other trades to the mix that have been less than opportune, throw in a huge spoonful of injuries and underachieving, and folks, you have a third place team. The 2006 Boston Red Sox. Read More Here.

*** BOSTON HERALD ***
Silence golden for D-Mat -- Hush-hush talks may hit $16M (MICHAEL SILVERMAN) It is too early to cite any progress or lack thereof in the Red Sox’ contract talks with Daisuke Matsuzaka, but one thing both sides have agreed on is to keep the negotiations as quiet as possible. Everyone will have an answer by Dec.... Read More Here.

‘Pretty impressive’ review (TONY MASSAROTTI) Lou Merloni spent only a short time playing baseball in Japan, but he was there long enough to experience the hype surrounding Daisuke Matsuzaka. Though Merloni... Read More Here.

Man, myth, legend (MICHAEL SILVERMAN) A legend in Japan since high school, Daisuke Matsuzaka is still a virtual stranger to the United States. That will change quickly,... Read More Here.

Heart of the matter (STEVE BUCKLEY) Let’s put aside all those dazzling Daisuke Matsuzaka scouting reports for a moment. Let’s also put aside the $51.11... Read More Here.

*** PROVIDENCE JOURNAL ***
With Matsuzaka, Sox go global like Yankees (PROJO STAFF) Daisuke Matsuzaka, who led Japan's Pacific League in strikeouts four times, may help the Boston Red Sox' marketing department even more than its pitching staff.

Signing the pitcher might pay even greater dividends to the team in additional sponsorship and advertising opportunities in Asia and the U.S, said David Carter, founder of the Sports Business Group, a sports marketing consulting company in Los Angeles.

"It's tremendous for them," Carter said. "If you can turn the Red Sox into a global baseball brand, the value of doing so resonates in a number of ways."

The New York Yankees boosted their popularity in Asia with Japanese outfielder Hideki Matsui and Taiwanese pitcher Chien-Ming Wang. The Seattle Mariners did the same with Japan's Ichiro Suzuki.

Yankees and Mariners games are broadcast in Japan, and both teams have sold Japanese advertisements in their ballparks. Matsui and Ichiro are trailed by a dedicated group of Japanese reporters. Read More Here.

Sox on clock with Matsuzaka's agent (SEAN MCADAM) After paying $51.1 million for the right to merely negotiate a contract with Japanese star pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, the Red Sox are only halfway home.

In the next four weeks, the Sox still must reach agreement with Scott Boras, Matsuzaka's representative, or their pre-emptive strike, in which they outbid their closest competitors by more than $10 million, will have produced nothing but dashed expectations and red faces.

Here are 10 questions that still must be answered:

1. What happens if the two sides cannot reach agreement within the 30-day window?

Matsuzaka would return to the Seibu Lions and the $51.1 million would be returned to the Red Sox. Matsuzaka then could be posted again after the 2007 season, at which time the entire process would be repeated. Contrary to some reports, Matsuzaka will not be eligible for total free agency -- and open to all bidders -- until after the 2008 season. Read More Here.

Wallace to Houston (PROJO BLOG) While this baseball news item didn't generate nearly the publicity of the Sox' victory in the bidding war for Diasuke Matsuzaka's rights, former Boston pitcher coach Dave Wallace's name popped up.

The veteran baseball man was named the new pitching coach for the Houston Astros. Read More Here.