It became official Tuesday night: the Boston Red Sox won the bidding war by offering the Seibu Lions a whopping $51.1 million to have exclusive negotiating rights for Japanese right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka. There's little doubt Matsuzaka is a terrific pitcher, arguably the best one available in the free-agent market this offseason, but the price tag will be astronomical. That $51.1 million only opens the door to sitting across the bargaining table from Scott Boras. No player is a bargain acquisition when dealing with Boras, and the 26-year-old Matsuzaka can be expected to command $8-12 million a year. Let's say the Red Sox sign the Japanese star to a four-year contract at $10 million a season. That puts the deal at $91 million for four years, unless the Lions kick back some of the posting fee, which has been known to happen. Do the Red Sox intend to pay A-Rod money for Matsuzaka? With his top-of-the-rotation stuff, he's a good bet to perform better than any Japanese pitcher to come to North America, but there's still some risk involved in spending that kind of money on a player who has no history in the major leagues here. Considering the Red Sox don't pay the $51.1 mil if they don't get Matsuzaka's signature on a contract, is it possible this is all about keeping the talented right-hander out of the hands of the New York Yankees? It's doubtful, but the Red Sox do have the option of saying no to Boras if the demands are unreasonable, and with the rules as they are, neither the Yankees nor anyone else can step up and sign Matsuzaka.