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There is still some magic to the name Daisuke Matsuzaka; still some value to being able to advertise “Dice-K” on the marquee.
Don’t for a moment think the Mets’ front-office decision-makers don’t recognize that. Of course they do. Surely that was a significant consideration in the decision to sign Matsuzaka on Thursday for the remainder of the season after he had been granted his requested release by the Cleveland organization.
This is a no-risk move with a potentially moderate reward for a Mets team in need of a starter to fill a gap in the rotation created within the last week when both Jenrry Mejia and Jeremy Hefner were diagnosed with season-ending arm injuries.
No one is under the illusion Matsuzaka — who had spent this year with the Indians’ Triple-A Columbus affiliate following an ignominious final season in Boston during which he went 1-8 with an 8.28 ERA — will recapture the glory of his time in Japan or of his first couple of seasons in the majors with the Red Sox.
Indeed, both general manager Sandy Alderson and manager Terry Collins volunteered several times during press briefings, before Matsuzaka went to the Citi Field mound against the Tigers, neither expected the soon-to-be 33-year-old right-hander, “to be what he was.”
Matsuzuka is the equivalent of a seat-holder. The front office wouldn’t mind in the slightest if he is a seat-filler in the alternate sense by drawing some people to the stands over the final five weeks of what likely will be the franchise’s fifth straight losing season.
Matsuzaka surrendered five runs on six hits including a pair of mammoth homers to Torii Hunter and Miguel Cabrera over the first two innings before settling down masterfully thereafter, retiring the final 10 batters he faced in the Mets’ 6-1 defeat.
“That convinced me I can keep major league hitters off the bases,” said Matsuzaka, who admitted to being “a little excited” and “a little nervous” at the start.
Reasons for optimism going forward are up, but attendance is down for the fourth straight season in this ballpark. This is a low-ceiling operation for 2013. And even as it is surely the prudent way to go, it doesn’t prompt fans to dig into their pockets to buy tickets.
Matsuzaka was a rock star when he came to America after eight seasons with the Seibu Lions during which he was an All-Star six times. The Mets were in on the bidding for his rights, so were the Yankees and so was Texas. The Red Sox blew away the competition with a $51.1 million posting before signing him to a six-year contract worth $52 million.
When Alderson was asked what he remembers about Matsuzaka, who was beset by arm problems following the 2008 season, in which he went 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA for the Sox, the GM didn’t skip a beat.
“Besides his price tag?” Alderson said. “It’s hard to remember anything else.”
It’s even harder to remember that was a time when the Mets were big spenders on the open market. They had spent big to sign Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran as free agents before 2005. They traded for Carlos Delgado before 2006. And they posted a bid believed in the neighborhood of $40 million for Matsuzaka.
They were in the name game. They were playing meaningful baseball in August and September. They were filling Shea Stadium.
Now they are an afterthought on the New York baseball canvas, drowned out by the noise created by the monster in The Bronx. They are absent buzz except on those days — like today — when Matt Harvey gets the ball.
So they go back to the name game by signing one, albeit a name with a fading right arm. Matsuzaka has had a distinguished career. But he is here as a seat-filler for the rotation, here to be a seat-filler at Citi Field.
The Mets could sure use one.