Kazuo "Kaz" Matsui (?? ???, Matsui Kazuo) (born October 23, 1975) is a Japanese second baseman for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball. Matsui is a switch-hitter. A common misconception is that Matsui is related to Hideki Matsui.Matsui signed with the New York Mets on December 17, 2003, becoming the first Japanese infielder to sign with a Major League Baseball team.