In the midst of an Asian tour with the team's World Series trophy, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman described Hideki Matsui as hard to replace. Matsui, a free agent, signed with the Angels after the Yankees failed to express serious interest in retaining him. He was limited to designated hitter duties in 2009 due to knee issues. "I've had some successful signings in Japan, I've had some unsuccessful signings in Japan. Hideki Matsui will be one of the best deals I ever made," Cashman said. "We will have future players from Japan on our roster. They will do everything in their power to try to help us win, but I doubt we'll find another Hideki Matsui."