Rosenthal: Tanaka to Yankees

[joemg311]

Does anyone else feel like a signing of Suk-Min Yoon would help fill the void that missing out on Tanaka has created in our souls? He is Asian and right handed. Also his name is better. Time to start the swoon yoon thread...

[Dick Allen]

The IL numbers are old. They now pay 5% income tax instead of just 3%. Then you also have to add in City of Chicago and Cook County stuff.

If you have ever paid city of Chicago or Cook County income tax, I have an extra elevator pass you may be interested in.

 

But sales tax is pretty high. So for every day living, the cost could be higher, but I would imagine it is still nowhere near the cost of NYC or LA.

Edited January 22, 2014 by Dick Allen

[Real]

Lol

[CyAcosta41]

LOVED that the Sox (apparently) pursued this guy hard - within their organizational limits; VERY GLAD they didn't chase beyond any kind of common sense. There's risk and then there's foolish risk. There are 2-3 teams in all of baseball who can take enormous risk, yet their virtually bottomless war chest allows them to avoid out-and-out catastrophe if it plays out badly -- the Yankmes, the Dodgers, and (probably) the Bosox.

 

Objectively, if we take Hahn at his word (and there is no reason not to at this point), the Sox offered competitive financial terms, and presented the intangibles in the most positive possible light that allowed for the possibility of Team Tanaka to value these subjective considerations as they chose to do so. There was ample reason to believe that subjective factors would play a part. Great. Be in the mix on the objective and let Team Tanaka ultimately decide how they weigh the entire package. My guess is that some of these factors played a part, but, at the end of the day, total guaranteed years won out. That's life. No regrets from having a sensible approach and losing because someone else did something that you'd never be willing to do (and certainly NOT with this team at this time). Can't guarantee the results, gentleman; just the process.

 

Despite being a long-time good karma guy who rarely wishes anyone ill, I hope Tanaka bombs miserably and the Yankmes have to chew on this for years to come. Money like this is crazy money (all sophisticated value of WAR notwithstanding) for a human who throws with a flesh and bone arm who has NEVER thrown a pitch in major league baseball. To me, Abreu money - given today's relative dearth of true power - was well within the bell curve of sensible risk. This? Crazy risk. Take half of what you were willing to spend on this guy, plow it into a million other areas of the organization, and I feel so much better about our long-term chances. I'd love to see this turn out badly so that there is at least MORE of a chance that the financial giants out there have to think a little harder about whether they want a Tanaka situation on their hands. Market correction is sometimes an overall good thing.

[RockRaines]

The Sox were out when 6 years wasnt going to cut it.

[witesoxfan]

I think the Sox are done with free agent signings. They aren't going to sign any pitcher that requires them to give up a pick, and I strongly doubt they go more than 2 years to any starter on the market now.

 

About the only thing I could even see them doing is 2/$24 to Garza, and that would be in anticipation of trading him. The Sox don't really operate that way, not that I agree with it.

[RockRaines]

If you have ever paid city of Chicago or Cook County income tax, I have an extra elevator pass you may be interested in.

 

But sales tax is pretty high. So for every day living, the cost could be higher, but I would imagine it is still nowhere near the cost of NYC or LA.

So you are making fun of people for not committing tax fraud?

[TaylorStSox]

If the Sox signed him and he's a bust. It's financially crippling. As I've said all along, and why I never cared to really follow this deal, that's a lot of money to pay for a prospect. I wouldn't even consider half that for a superstar in the draft. Hell, I wouldn't want to commit that type of money to an All Star. The Sox don't have the market to absorb huge risks and fail.

[ChiSox59]

I'd like to see the SOX allocate roughly $50M-$55M of what they offered Tanaka and go get Matt Garza. If anything, the Tanaka sweepstakes have shown that the Ricky is ready to spend to make this team competitive as quickly as possible. I think putting Garza in the 2 spot in the rotation makes this a much better team, and it solves the rotation for the next several seasons.

[flavum]

We're all going to be laughing when Felipe Paulino has a better season.

 

[dayan024]

Phil Rogers ‏@philgrogers 1m

 

@Ken_Rosenthal reports that White Sox were one of five teams in Tanaka bidding until the end, along w/@Yankees, @Cubs, @Dodgers @ @astros.

[witesoxfan]

I'd like to see the SOX allocate roughly $50M-$55M of what they offered Tanaka and go get Matt Garza. If anything, the Tanaka sweepstakes have shown that the Ricky is ready to spend to make this team competitive as quickly as possible. I think putting Garza in the 2 spot in the rotation makes this a much better team, and it solves the rotation for the next several seasons.

 

It's not far fetched to believe that Johnson and/or Paulino could have better years than Garza both this year and over the next 3-4 years.

 

If the sign Garza, I want it to be for no more than 2 years, and really, I'm not sure I want that.

 

I think Garza's name is bigger than his production.

[Dunt]

Phil Rogers ‏@philgrogers 1m

 

@Ken_Rosenthal reports that White Sox were one of five teams in Tanaka bidding until the end, along w/@Yankees, @Cubs, @Dodgers @ @astros.

 

Thanks for the breaking news Phil!

[royoung]

Phil Rogers ‏@philgrogers 1m

 

@Ken_Rosenthal reports that White Sox were one of five teams in Tanaka bidding until the end, along w/@Yankees, @Cubs, @Dodgers @ @astros.

 

So Hahn foiled by the Yankees in pursuit of two free agents targets this off-season. (McCann and Tanaka)

[Dick Allen]

I'd like to see the SOX allocate roughly $50M-$55M of what they offered Tanaka and go get Matt Garza. If anything, the Tanaka sweepstakes have shown that the Ricky is ready to spend to make this team competitive as quickly as possible. I think putting Garza in the 2 spot in the rotation makes this a much better team, and it solves the rotation for the next several seasons.

Garza gets hurt a lot and when Theo got lucky when he traded him when he was having a real hot streak. He was mediocre at best with Texas. To me, he's a guy who probably puts up Gavin Floyd type numbers in the AL. I don't think that is worth spending $50 million.

[Balta1701]

It's not far fetched to believe that Johnson and/or Paulino could have better years than Garza both this year and over the next 3-4 years.

 

If the sign Garza, I want it to be for no more than 2 years, and really, I'm not sure I want that.

 

I think Garza's name is bigger than his production.

I absolutely do not want Garza, Jiminez, or any of the other remaining veteran-named pitchers. If we missed out on the 24 year old...play the kids.

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

If the Sox signed him and he's a bust. It's financially crippling. As I've said all along, and why I never cared to really follow this deal, that's a lot of money to pay for a prospect. I wouldn't even consider half that for a superstar in the draft. Hell, I wouldn't want to commit that type of money to an All Star. The Sox don't have the market to absorb huge risks and fail.

I think he will pitch very well but he has a ton of mileage on his arm already. Unless he has a bionic arm ,throwing that splitter is going to catch up with him eventually. I say he doesn't make it halfway through that contract with shoulder or elbow surgery and the opt out clause will never be used.

Edited January 22, 2014 by CaliSoxFanViaSWside

[RockRaines]

So Hahn foiled by the Yankees in pursuit of two free agents targets this off-season. (McCann and Tanaka)

I'm not all that upset about either.

[Jake]

It's not foiled if you didn't want to be paying them $40M per year indefinitely into the future

[royoung]

I'm not all that upset about either.

 

At the prices they went for? Me too.

 

Also, thanks for the information Rock. Very good stuff and kept things interesting to the end. Appreciate it

Edited January 22, 2014 by southside hitman

[ShandyMan]

Risks like that are how you get yourself into another mess like the one we were in before this off-season.

 

 

Did I want him? Yes.

 

At that ridiculous contract? No.

[TaylorStSox]

Realistically, the Sox have about 30-40% of their own market. They don't have a multi billion dollar TV deal. They can't afford to buy their stars, they have to develop them, sign smart mid tier FA's and be creative in trades. Signing prospects to $120M+ deals is bad business for the Sox.

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

LOVED that the Sox (apparently) pursued this guy hard - within their organizational limits; VERY GLAD they didn't chase beyond any kind of common sense. There's risk and then there's foolish risk. There are 2-3 teams in all of baseball who can take enormous risk, yet their virtually bottomless war chest allows them to avoid out-and-out catastrophe if it plays out badly -- the Yankmes, the Dodgers, and (probably) the Bosox.

 

Objectively, if we take Hahn at his word (and there is no reason not to at this point), the Sox offered competitive financial terms, and presented the intangibles in the most positive possible light that allowed for the possibility of Team Tanaka to value these subjective considerations as they chose to do so. There was ample reason to believe that subjective factors would play a part. Great. Be in the mix on the objective and let Team Tanaka ultimately decide how they weigh the entire package. My guess is that some of these factors played a part, but, at the end of the day, total guaranteed years won out. That's life. No regrets from having a sensible approach and losing because someone else did something that you'd never be willing to do (and certainly NOT with this team at this time). Can't guarantee the results, gentleman; just the process.

 

Despite being a long-time good karma guy who rarely wishes anyone ill, I hope Tanaka bombs miserably and the Yankmes have to chew on this for years to come. Money like this is crazy money (all sophisticated value of WAR notwithstanding) for a human who throws with a flesh and bone arm who has NEVER thrown a pitch in major league baseball. To me, Abreu money - given today's relative dearth of true power - was well within the bell curve of sensible risk. This? Crazy risk. Take half of what you were willing to spend on this guy, plow it into a million other areas of the organization, and I feel so much better about our long-term chances. I'd love to see this turn out badly so that there is at least MORE of a chance that the financial giants out there have to think a little harder about whether they want a Tanaka situation on their hands. Market correction is sometimes an overall good thing.

Also as much as I want to see ARod gone, now I have a need to see him come back next year so the Yanks are stuck paying him till his contract runs out in 2017.

[royoung]

Also as much as I want to see ARod gone, now I have a need to see him come back next year so the Yanks are stuck paying him till his contract runs out in 2017.

 

They are paying his contract in 2015-2017 no matter what. They just got 27 million in relief when he was suspended for the 2014 season.

[witesoxfan]

Regarding the local market share, this is tied for the second best outcome. Signing him instead of the Cubs would have been huge, but the Cubs not signing him further increases animosity and disinterest in the Cubs for Chicago baseball fans and, if the Sox are good in the next couple years, it will increase interest and market share in Chicago.