The mainstream media has been quick to link Hideki Matsui to Seattle.  He’s a DH, he’s left handed, he’s Japanese, whatever.  But all connections thus far have been pure speculation; there have been no reports indicating that Matsui is actually on GM Jack Zduriencik’s radar.

It’s unclear whether or not Matsui would want to play for Seattle.  There has been some talk over the years that Ichiro and Matsui dislike each other.  If I recall correctly, Matsui even pulled out of the World Baseball Classic when Ichiro joined Japan’s roster.  I haven’t really followed the feud, but a quick Google search yielded some interesting material that suggests their conflict extends all the way back into their teenage years.  Depending on how real it is, discussing Matsui as a Seattle Mariner may be moot.

Some will be quick to dismiss Matsui, even after he posted an .876 OPS last season.  He’s 35, has had all kinds of knee problems and put up his highest home run to flyball ratio (HR/FB) of his career while playing in the Little League park known as New Yankees Stadium.  Those factors make his 2009 season seem like a fluke, but as you dig deeper the numbers paint a different picture.  He had a .275 batting average on balls in play (BABIP), the lowest mark of his career despite having his second best line drive percentage (LD%) of his career.  His power wasn’t just Johnny Damon-esque New Yankee Stadium power either, as his average bomb traveled 395.9 feet and his longest 445 feet.  The low BABIP and high LD% say his batting average should have been higher than the .274 mark he posted, and the power is still there.  It’s also worth noting that while he occasionally hit between some combination of Mark Teixiera, Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada, more often than not he was protected by Nick Swisher, which led to him seeing the fewest pitches in the strike zone of his career.  I wouldn’t be so quick to call 2009 a fluke.

Yes, his numbers would take a hit moving from New Yankee to just about anywhere, but there is still some left in the tank for ol’ Godzilla.  Matsui should command 1-2 years at $7-10M per.  I’ve never been a Matsui fan, but I could get behind him signing with Seattle.  That said, I don’t see him as the best fit for Seattle.  With Ken Griffey occupying a bench spot, Seattle would benefit from getting a DH that could play a defensive position from time to time.  Matsui claims that he can still play the outfield, but in all reality you’re not going to find a DH that can handle left field at Safeco.