'Little Matsui" signs for the Mets
NEW YORK -- Japan's Kazuo Matsui has signed a three-year deal to play with the New York Mets from next season, the Major League Baseball team said on Wednesday.
Matsui will become the first Japanese infielder to play in the MLB. His contract is worth $20.1 million over three years and he will have the opportunity to earn $900,000 in bonuses, the Mets said in a statement.
"The Mets made me feel most wanted," Matsui said. "I am looking forward to my first year as a major leaguer."
The 28-year-old shortstop, a three-times Golden Glove winner and the Pacific League MVP in 1998 with Japanese club the Seibu Lions, hit .305 with 33 home runs last season.
Nicknamed "Little Matsui," the switch-hitter is no relation to New York Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui.
