Shohei Otani sweepstakes (NYY out, looks like West Coast)

[robert terwilliger]

the building up of bethancourt could be a lot of fun in this same regard. he's not at a high level yet but it's definitely the goal.

 

[MS]

Cool to see. I've always hated that MLB teams - without fail - force guys who are talented both on the mound and with the bat to specialize immediately after turning pro. It's freaking rookie ball, let your pitching prospect who hit .400 in college swing the bat a bit on off days and see what happens.

 

[MurrayBannerman]

And just a FYI, Hunter Greene might have similar upside to Otani. One of the few guys I could slap a 70 on in the draft process because he's a legit prospect at SS, too.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

TOKYO -- Japanese baseball player Shohei Otani will be sidelined for about six weeks because of a left-thigh muscle strain, his team said on Sunday.

Otani, who is expected to move to Major League Baseball in 2018, hurt his left leg trying to beat out an infield single in the Nippon Ham Fighters’ loss to the Orix BlueWave on Saturday.

 

[ChiGuySez]

Otani will prbably get insane money from some team.

 

[John Price]

Otani will prbably get insane money from some team.

Because he is coming out now at 23 instead of 25 he will get less than he could have gotten later on. If he got out at age 25 he would have gotten around 200m. Now he is capped.

 

[Bjorn Le]

I really hope he goes to a team which will DH him (AL) or play him in LF (NL). Too good offensively to not.

Also, happy he's coming early. He's coming over to furthe his career, not just make buckets of ducats.

 

[Cassano]

I really hope he goes to a team which will DH him (AL) or play him in LF (NL). Too good offensively to not.

Also, happy he's coming early. He's coming over to furthe his career, not just make buckets of ducats.

He turned down 9 figured, this is insanity.

 

[MurrayBannerman]

He'll be extended in his second year. All of this is going to come with a handshake agreement.

 

[Bjorn Le]

He'll be extended in his second year. All of this is going to come with a handshake agreement.

Fangraphs thinks that might not be allowed under the current CBA. They present the ways in which a deal could be structured. It's a very good read.

 

[Terry Yake]

chances he ends up on a team that isn't the yankees, red sox, or dodgers?

i'll even throw in the giants and nats in there for good measure

 

[rangerssharks414]

I think Texas will get him.

 

[Halladay]

The Phillies have very little money spent. They need to make a significant bid. Starters are suspect after Nola.

 

[NJDevs26]

I really hope he goes to a team which will DH him (AL) or play him in LF (NL). Too good offensively to not.

Also, happy he's coming early. He's coming over to furthe his career, not just make buckets of ducats.

I feel like teams are so protective of pitchers that very few (if any) NL teams would dare to try to make him a two-way player sadly.

But the whole AL/DH angle is certainly intriguing, I hadn't even thought of that till I heard the MLB Network guys talking about Otani just now.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

chances he ends up on a team that isn't the yankees, red sox, or dodgers?

i'll even throw in the giants and nats in there for good measure

Well he would have to sign for about 300K with the Dodgers so I feel like that isn't going to happen.

 

[tony d]

Seems to be a versatile player. I doubt he is both a pitcher and a fielder in the big leagues so I think the team that signs him will have him stick to what he does best.

 

[Bjorn Le]

Seems to be a versatile player. I doubt he is both a pitcher and a fielder in the big leagues so I think the team that signs him will have him stick to what he does best.

He's reportedly going to ask teams that not only does he also want to hit, he wants to be occasionally played in LF or RF. If a team tells him they just want him to pitch, Otani will tell them to just find another pitcher.

He might not hit and pitch for the rest of his career, but you can be sure next season he's going to be hitting somewhere.

 

[Voight]

chances he ends up on a team that isn't the yankees, red sox, or dodgers?

i'll even throw in the giants and nats in there for good measure

Dodgers or Texas is my bet.

He's reportedly going to ask teams that not only does he also want to hit, he wants to be occasionally played in LF or RF. If a team tells him they just want him to pitch, Otani will tell them to just find another pitcher.

He might not hit and pitch for the rest of his career, but you can be sure next season he's going to be hitting somewhere.

Agreed. let him try both and if he sucks at hitting in the MLB, maybe he'll stick to pitching.

He'll be extended in his second year. All of this is going to come with a handshake agreement.

Yea, and get a $10,000,000 signing bonus on his first deal to make up for it.

 

[punk_o_holic]

I would love it if Houston got him but doubtful. Would the owner be willing to open his wallet? I guess he did for Gurriel and were after Abreu and Tanaka but came up short so who knows. If he did open his wallet and they get him, would that effect the future when players like Keuchel,Altuve, Springer, and Correa needs a new contract?

I would guess L.A. Dodgers(lots of former Japanese players played for them and close flight back home). Maybe the Yankees. Any chance Mariners go after him? I would choose them as a darkhorse.

 

[darko]

chances he ends up on a team that isn't the yankees, red sox, or dodgers?

i'll even throw in the giants and nats in there for good measure

Yes. Mariners.

 

[John Price]

He posted earlier this morning

 

[rangerssharks414]

I'm still sticking with my Texas prediction.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

Yankees. Young team and a contender. Tanaka as Japanese companion. With the hard cap limit for U25 players, he can earn the most $$ in endorsements in New York's market. Yankees need a DH as well.

He actually has a lower ERA than Tanaka from Age 18-22 season in NPB ball. He is the real deal.

 

[Bjorn Le]

The Yankees, Twins, and Rangers have been named as the teams most likely, but this is mostly based on the fact that these three teams have the most bonus pool money.

New York strikes me as a team, that philosophically at least, will be opposed to allowing Otani to hit. And they also seem like a team that would pull him from hitting if he doesn't start off well. Remember, Otani wants to hit and he wants to play in the field at least a few teams. I don't think we'll know who is willing to do that until he's almost signed. I wouldn't be surprised if it's a team people didn't really expect gets him.

I'm just glad he actually got posted. The MLBPA seemed like they were against it.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

The Yankees, Twins, and Rangers have been named as the teams most likely, but this is mostly based on the fact that these three teams have the most bonus pool money.

New York strikes me as a team, that philosophically at least, will be opposed to allowing Otani to hit. And they also seem like a team that would pull him from hitting if he doesn't start off well. Remember, Otani wants to hit and he wants to play in the field at least a few teams. I don't think we'll know who is willing to do that until he's almost signed. I wouldn't be surprised if it's a team people didn't really expect gets him.

I'm just glad he actually got posted. The MLBPA seemed like they were against it.

The kid could have waited 2 years and gotten 9 figures instead of 7 figures. I don't think a few hundred K - million of bonus pool money is the dealbreaker.

DH is probably a more viable option than being an outfielder as there is less risk of injury. Are teams really gonna risk their front line starter playing the outfield every day he's not pitching?