Shohei Otani is likely coming to the USA

[Bob Sacamano]

In the NL he can bat on days when he pitches, get pinch hit opportunities on his days off and maybe start in the field one game a week or so, because there's no way teams are going to want him making max effort throws from the outfield on the days right after he pitches and the day before he pitches. However he hasn't played in the outfield since 2014 so I doubt any team is going to have him do it anyway.

 

In the AL he can DH 3-4 games per week without having to tax his arm in the field. That will add up to more opportunities to bat than he can get in the NL unless an NL team is willing to use him irresponsibly which I don't see happening.

 

Enter Joe Maddon lol

[southsider2k5]

In the NL he can bat on days when he pitches, get pinch hit opportunities on his days off and maybe start in the field one game a week or so, because there's no way teams are going to want him making max effort throws from the outfield on the days right after he pitches and the day before he pitches. However he hasn't played in the outfield since 2014 so I doubt any team is going to have him do it anyway.

 

In the AL he can DH 3-4 games per week without having to tax his arm in the field. That will add up to more opportunities to bat than he can get in the NL unless an NL team is willing to use him irresponsibly which I don't see happening.

 

I see the opposite. Teams will sell him on anything to get him here.

[LittleHurt05]

I see all this talk about him playing the OF, can't he just stick to first base? Much less wear on his arm, and even if he hasn't played it before, it's gotta be the easier position.

[Jose Abreu]

When does he actually get posted? After the new year?

[GenericUserName]

When does he actually get posted? After the new year?

 

I don't think anyone knows. I think MLBPA still has to okay the extension of the posting agreement. After the system is in place they probably post him the next day.

[hi8is]

We were one of the only teams that didn't watch his showcase.

[southsider2k5]

Bob Nightengale‏Verified account @BNightengale 2h2 hours ago Dan Halem hopeful an agreement will be reached with new posting agreement by first week of December, which would free Ohtani to come to #MLB

 

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Source?

 

RaBBit, you know anything about our level of interest?

[hi8is]

Source?

It was reported at the time of the showcase - which was some time ago so I do not recall. I'll pull a google search to see if I can dig it up thou.

 

Rosenthal

 

Teams, according to scout in attendance, that requested seats to see Otani: AZ, BAL, BOS, CHC, CIN, CLE, LAD, NYY, PIT, SEA, TEX, TOR, WAS.

Edited November 15, 2017 by hi8is

[Dick Allen]

It was reported at the time of the showcase - which was some time ago so I do not recall. I'll pull a google search to see if I can dig it up thou.

 

Rosenthal

I don't think that was a showcase. I don't think he held a showcase. Just scouts at his game. I am pretty sure KW never saw Iguchi or Shingo live before signing them. If he was willing to take the Sox $300k, I am sure they wouldn't object.

 

He's a big time signing, but not a high level financial risk. The $20 million posting fee is it. And signing him makes them a ton of money from Japan. It's a no brainer. It's pretty much guaranteed to make money.

 

Whatever team he ultimately signs with he is doing a huge favor. He's like Michael Jordan in Japan. His new team will be printing money.

Edited November 15, 2017 by Dick Allen

[Whisox05]

Shohei Ohtani is bypassing the opportunity to set himself for a contract possibly worth $200+ million, which he could do by waiting two years to jump to MLB. Given that context: Why would we believe a few hundred thousand dollars in slot money is difference-making?

https://twitter.com/Buster_ESPN/status/930827410022584320

[Dam8610]

Plenty of teams can offer his bat ABs. This is false.

 

In fact being in the AL would cost him ABs because of the DH. If he started and the Sox didn't use the DH, you don't get the DH back once a reliever comes in. The Sox would either have relievers hitting or need potentially multiple pitch-hitters in a game if they went without the DH. If he went 6 innings, that is still 2ABs that need to be covered.

 

If the latter were the case, they would need to carry a bigger bench than they have to cover the extra possibilities.

 

So you have 1-2 games a week where you have no DH and have to use pinch hitters? I don't see how that's a big issue.

[Dam8610]

It was reported at the time of the showcase - which was some time ago so I do not recall. I'll pull a google search to see if I can dig it up thou.

 

Rosenthal

 

So more than half of the teams didn't attend, then? Because apparently every team has shown interest in him at the GM meetings.

Edited November 15, 2017 by Dam8610

[southsider2k5]

So more than half of the teams didn't attend, then? Because apparently every team has shown interest in him at the GM meetings.

 

There hasn't been a single public connection between the Sox and Ohtani.

[Dam8610]

There hasn't been a single public connection between the Sox and Ohtani.

 

That doesn't preclude the possibility of the White Sox pursuing or signing him.

[Dick Allen]

It would be foolish not to try considering what you have to pay and no team can offer more than $3 million more. It would be a huge windfall for the franchise if he said OK. It's a real long shot but unless his people have already said not interested, worth a pitch.

 

I can't imagine they wouldn't be interested in adding him to the roster. That makes zero sense.

Edited November 15, 2017 by Dick Allen

[southsider2k5]

That doesn't preclude the possibility of the White Sox pursuing or signing him.

 

It kind of does. It is kind of hard to sign a guy who you aren't trying to sign, especially when you have teams of every size and shape trying to give the guy anything he wants to come here. If the Sox really want him, they sure have a funny way of showing it.

[Bob Sacamano]

It kind of does. It is kind of hard to sign a guy who you aren't trying to sign, especially when you have teams of every size and shape trying to give the guy anything he wants to come here. If the Sox really want him, they sure have a funny way of showing it.

 

Who says they aren't trying? The Sox normally operate below the radar.

[southsider2k5]

Who says they aren't trying? The Sox normally operate below the radar.

 

I guess one way to operate under the radar is to not go see or scout the guy you are trying to sign.

[Bob Sacamano]

I guess one way to operate under the radar is to not go see or scout the guy you are trying to sign.

 

Yep because the Sox haven't done that before or anything.

 

Look, none of us are saying nor predicting he will come here. Just that there is a case to be made that a match could make sense for both he and the Sox and it would be dumb not to try.

Edited November 15, 2017 by soxfan2014

[southsider2k5]

Yep because the Sox haven't done that before or anything.

 

Can we please get rid of the idea that this is Takatsu or Tadahito? This isn't a mediocre and older free agent that isn't attracting much interest in the US. This is quite literally the biggest free agent play in he history of Japanese baseball. It isn't to be enough to get by on watching video's on Kenny's PC.

 

There is zero to indicate the White Sox are involved at all, including their own actions. If there was anything other than WELL THEY COULD BE to go off of here, I could respect it, but there is quite literally zero, and meanwhile a most of the rest of baseball is doing stuff.

[Bob Sacamano]

Can we please get rid of the idea that this is Takatsu or Tadahito? This isn't a mediocre and older free agent that isn't attracting much interest in the US. This is quite literally the biggest free agent play in he history of Japanese baseball. It isn't to be enough to get by on watching video's on Kenny's PC.

 

There is zero to indicate the White Sox are involved at all, including their own actions. If there was anything other than WELL THEY COULD BE to go off of here, I could respect it, but there is quite literally zero, and meanwhile a most of the rest of baseball is doing stuff.

 

 

It's a lot more fun to talk about than the boring off-season we're about to endure. You keep doing you and we'll keeping talking Ohtani

 

If you don't like us talking about how cool it would be to see him on our squad, then why even click in this thread?

[GenericUserName]

Can we please get rid of the idea that this is Takatsu or Tadahito? This isn't a mediocre and older free agent that isn't attracting much interest in the US. This is quite literally the biggest free agent play in he history of Japanese baseball. It isn't to be enough to get by on watching video's on Kenny's PC.

 

There is zero to indicate the White Sox are involved at all, including their own actions. If there was anything other than WELL THEY COULD BE to go off of here, I could respect it, but there is quite literally zero, and meanwhile a most of the rest of baseball is doing stuff.

 

There have been like a half dozen teams that have been mentioned with regards to a possible landing spot for Ohtani even though every baseball reporter is saying that all 30 teams will be talking to him. I think this is simply a case of nobody asking the Sox if we are doing anything because people don't give us a chance to sign him. The majority of teams that are mentioned are the big name clubs that are in everything and the clubs with the most momey. That's because that is easy reporting when no one really knows what he wants in a team. Not knowing what he wants in a team makes it at least possible that he can sign with any team, and almost everyone agrees with this sentiment.

[Dam8610]

I guess one way to operate under the radar is to not go see or scout the guy you are trying to sign.

 

Like 16 other teams did?

[GenericUserName]

Like 16 other teams did?

 

Exactly. And for literally one game! How do we know we weren't there for every other game but our scout had food poisoning that night? We don't! Yeah, we can say its highly unlikely, but extrapolating from a single report about one game is ridiculous especially when most reporters have repeatedly said that every team will at least attempt to sign him.