Ichiro's New Contract

Ichiro Suzuki has a new 5-year $100 million contract. Here are two very good blog posts on the subject.

- The first is from USS Mariner who makes a the sabremetric case that the new contract is a bargain.

- The second is from Kevin Hayward who is on the fence whether Ichiro is worth the money.

I've seen Ichiro play in person 4 times. Each time I saw him play - I couldn't keep my eyes off him. Ichiro is a dynamic fan favorite who is also a game changer. It is near impossible to keep him off the bases and once on - his mere presence disrupts a game more than any player since Rickey Henderson in his prime.

Three things to keep in mind when considering that $20 million per year price tag.

1. Hiroshi Yamauchi (of Nintendo) owns the Mariners and Ichiro is a fan favorite not just in America but also in Japan. The Red Sox just paid a similar amount for Daisuke Matsuzaka but with $51 million going to the Seibu Lions and $52 million going to Dice-K (over 6-years) but Ichiro is more of a proven quantity. I wouldn't worry about the team getting a good return on this investment.

2. The Mariners revenue is just a bit south of the Red Sox. They can well afford the contract. In comparison to Beltre and Sexson - this contract is a bargain.

3. Judge Judy makes $25 million per year and in my opinion Ichiro is a better entertainer.