Haven't said much about the guy 'coz
1) there's almost no chance the Astros would be in the market for him and
2) I think there's more than a little overhype involved,
but couldn't help but note the story on Daisuke Matsuzaka over at SI.
Most interesting is this quote from the guy who remember has hired Scott Boras as his agent:
I'm not sure which team I will end up playing for. . . I know there are several teams that are interested and I'll go with the one that most appropriately evaluates my ability.
Shit. And here I'd thought that he was gonna do like every other free agent, and go with the organization that threw the most crispy folding at him. . . . .
Another interesting part of the SI story is its assertion that Matsuzaka throws consistently in the high '90's. Is that, like, a Boras trial balloon, or something?
I suppose you're going to start hearing more and more outlandish things about the guy, 90 mile an hour gyroball, throws left handed when he's got runners on, leaps tall buildings in a single bound, but from what I've seen, the guy tops at 95, and lives in the low 90s.
The gyroball does indeed look preternaturally nasty, but ask Brad Lidge about trying to rely on a nasty breaking pitch when your fastball is getting crushed . . . and our beleaguered ex-closer throws his fastball much faster than 92.
The Astros have virtually no chance of acquiring either Zito or Matsuzaka, but given my druthers, I'd take Zito over the Japanese guy every time.