Matsuzaka Deal Loaded With Perks

NAME: Daisuke Matsuzaka
POSITION: Right-handed pitcher
AGE: 26 (Sept. 13, 1980)
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-foot/187 pounds

(CBS4) BOSTON The Red Sox shelled out $51 million just to negotiate with Japanese pitching star Daisuke Matsuzaka.

The team then coughed up another $52 million for the contract with incentive clauses that could increase the value to $60 million.

Apparently the money wasn’t enough. According to agent Scott Boras, Matsuzaka’s contract includes a “litany of personal comforts.”

-massage therapist
-physical therapist
-interpreter
-personal assistant.
-80-90 flights
-special housing and transportation arrangements and accommodations for his wife

Such perks aren’t uncommon. Included in the $136 million dollar deal given to Alfonso Soriano by the Chicago Cubs, is a guarantee that Soriano receive a hotel suite on road trips. Soriano also gets six premium tickets for every home game during spring training, regular season, postseason and All-Star Game.

Houston Astros pitcher Roger Clemens was paid $22 million last season but was allowed to skip trips to cities in which he wasn’t scheduled to start so he could spend more time with his family.