Oakland Athletics look to Hideki Matsui for slugging power
The Oakland Athletics have been reeling in the recent free agency activity. Their bid for Japanese star, Hisashi Iwakuma, fell out when they weren’t able to come to an agreement on terms and conditions.
The A’s are one of the 30 teams in the winter meetings looking for the right sort of players to fill the gaps in the line-ups. Some of the top ball stars in the game are scattered across the market and their value in terms of experience and leadership will decide their destination. This will happen by the end of the off season.
The side has recently been in pursuit of a top designated hitter, and while things haven’t looked well in the other trade areas, the management is keen to add on any established hitter they can get.
Adrian Beltre was a rumoured to have joined the side but the deal never materialized. Now reports have come in that the side is looking at another Japanese star for recruitment. Veteran batter, Hideki Matsui, is one option that seems to sit right on the cards.
General Manager, Billy Beane, has met with the star’s agent, Arn Tellem, and both parties are in the process of negotiation. However, there are indications that there may be a developing deal coming forth in the next few days.
Tellem summarized the incident with, "They are private meetings, and it's not really my style to comment until I really have something to say".
The A’s are not the only team to be interested in the player according to Hideki’s agent. Matsui made $6 million last year and made the most of his tenure with the Los Angeles Angels with a batting average of .274. His ‘on base plus slugging percentage’, was .820. He smashed 21 home runs and drove in 84 runs, for the team. The Athletics could enjoy the partnership, as Matsui could add power to an attack, abridged by Kurt Suzuki, and Kevin Kouzmanoff.
Hideki’s agent expressed the player’s desire by saying, "I think he wants to play on a regular basis and contribute to a team, and be on a team with a chance to be competitive in the race and looking for the support of a positive environment. I believe we'll find one of those".
For now Hideki is scanning the market for the right club and his agent will be scanning the winter meetings for the right deal. "I think we'll have a better sense after I go through all the meetings this week", he said.
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