Angels sign Hideki Matsui to one-year deal
Posted on December 14, 2009
New York Yankees batter Hideki Matsui bats against the Oakland Athletics on September 3, 2005 at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, CA. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
The Angels need to make some moves this winter as their rivals up north in Seattle have just landed Cliff Lee after signing away Chone Figgins last week. The Halo’s finally made some nose this afternoon by signing former Yankee DH and 2009 World Series MVP Hideki Matsui to a one-year deal worth slightly more than $6 million.
Hideki Matsui of the New York Yankees bats against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game Six of the 2009 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium on November 4, 2009 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Brad Mangin/MLB Photos)
The Angels will be losing their designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero to free agency this winter so they really need to find a potent bat to replace him in their lineup. Matsui can be a nice fit for the Angles if he can stay healthy and come close to his 2009 stats when he hit .274 with 28 homers and 90 runs batted in. Matsui is an RBI machine and proved it in Game 6 of the World Series a month ago when he knocked in 6 runs in the clinching game against the Phillies to earn Series MVP honors.
Nick Swisher #33, Melky Cabrera #53 and Hideki Matsui #55 of the New York Yankees sit in the dugout before the game against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on August 18, 2009 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
The 35-year-old Japanese star first came to the Yankees in in 2003 and had a nice freshman year in the Big Leagues helping lead his club to the World Series with a .287 average to go along with 106 RBI. Add Matsui to my growing list of new guys in new uniforms I will be photographing in a few months when I head down to Arizona to cover spring training.
Hideki Matsui of the New York Yankees celebrates with his teammates in the victorious Yankees clubhouse after Game Six of the 2009 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium on November 4, 2009 in New York, New York. (Photo by Brad Mangin/MLB Photos)
They call Matsui Godzilla. He sure was a monster in Game 6 of the World Series. Angels fans will be hoping he continues devouring opposing pitching when he puts on that red and white Angels uniform in 2010. The AL West race is shaping up to be a good one!
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