The pursuit of Shohei Otani could be unlike anything we’ve ever seen, but it won’t begin in earnest for some time. Given the stakes, though, teams have already begun jockeying. The Rangers, in particular, sent a contingent led by GM Jon Daniels to watch Otani work out, as Even Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports. Though the 22-year-old phenom isn’t even able to pitch right now, sending over the top baseball ops brass was presumably conceived of as a means of laying some groundwork and working to get on Ohtani’s radar. Texas is a particularly interesting potential suitor, given that the team has employed star Japanese hurler Yu Darvish — and that he’ll be a free agent at season’s end.
Here’s more of interest from around the game:
- Veteran slugger Ryan Howard isn’t planning to retire, Meghan Montemurro of the News Journal reports. While the 37-year-old did not last long with the Braves organization after signing recently, he says he still has designs on playing. “By no means am I done,” Howard said. Nevertheless, the former National League MVP has also turned some attention to the future; he has become a partner with a venture capital firm called SeventySix Capital.
- While things have been far from perfect in the Reds pitching staff, the current roster represents a major upgrade in at least one way, as Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes. Despite needing to rotate through some arms, the club has only needed to clear a 40-man spot on one occasion, owing to the presence of more optionable players.
- Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch takes a look at the potential impact of the return of reliever Seth Maness, the former Cardinals hurler who’s now with the Royals. The so-called “primary repair” procedure he underwent on his elbow represents a less-invasive alternative to Tommy John surgery. The question, naturally, is how (and how long) it’ll hold up in full-speed MLB circumstances, and Maness will begin to provide some of the data needed to make that assessment.
- If you’re looking for some other reading material heading into the weekend, you’ll definitely want to bookmark the epic account of the 1992 expansion draft put together by MLBTR contributor Chuck Wasserstrom. Once you’re through that (it’s long, but worth it), you can check out any number of interesting pieces at Fangraphs, including these on the Orioles’ unlikely successes, the possible breakout of Aaron Altherr, and how Eric Thames turned free time into mastery of the strike zone. Those interested in reading about the bump in home runs early this year should check out this post from Ben Lindbergh of The Ringer. And if you’d like to learn the latest on the prospect front, check out Baseball America’s updated top-100 prospects list and its new top-50 draft list.
Its pretty much a given that Otani is going to get at least 200 million
He can’t because of the new rules
Wow thats a big change. Didnt know they did that
Yes starts in July
That’s why the padres are spending like they are
And why robert will sign this period
I mean an extension sure, but his first contract will only amount to a 5M MiLB signing bonus.
Well teams can trade for up to 75% of their bonus pool amount, so a high-pool amount team like the Orioles or Indians (if they traded for the max amount of pool money) could sign him for a $10m bonus.
What I wonder is is if he will be able to negotiate free agency after one season into his first deal, or if that is even legal. Surely some team, like say the Indians, would be willing to offer that type of clause if it meant getting a guy who might be a $400m player for a cheap one-year deal.
I’m guessing with the inkling of Ottani coming over no teams are going to be able to trade for that type of pool money. Even if a team was able to negotiate a one year deal that wouldn’t make any sense with the posting fee involved. There are major available loopholes and gray area involved in this issue that I’m not sure MLB is going to be ok with. He’s going to receive an extension/ early FA date. What’s going to be most interesting here is how the MLB reacts to the team that throws the middle finger in their face.
I see Ottani landing with an AL team with a history of attracting Japanese player I.e. Mariners/ Rangers.
Think about that for a second. First, the Nippon-Ham Fighters have to post him. They WILL receive bids of $20M. Now, even if you sign him to a 1 year deal for the maximum they can now spend, who’s going to spend $25M for only 1 year of a non-MLB player? No one, every single team is going to ask for 2 years or more.
I guess Otani has 2 choices for 200 million contract–Dodgers or Yankees.
Or cubs. Remember Yankees are spending a trillion on Harper
That’s 1.5 Trillion and a large fries!
I’ve heard fries are negotiable, milkshake also on table
And the Red Sox.
One problem Dodgers Cubs are in penalty box so the most they can offer up front is 300K.
How?
When the next period comes around it’ll be a few million max
Missing a quotation mark in front of “Primary Repair” referring to the part about Seth Maness.
Combining quotation marks and “so-called” is redundant. And what’s with talking about how long it will hold up? Sort of gruesome and negative. With the guy getting treated for cancer, will there be a line like “He has completed his treatment but it will be interesting to see how long it keeps him going for”? There is no reason to think new procedure has some kind of short life expectancy so why suggest there is?
“By no means am I done.” – Ryan Howard
“Dude, you’ve been done since 2012.” – everyone who follows baseball
Yeah. Since he signed that last crazy contract. Same with the renegotiated Sabathia deal and him being done for. Nothing personal regarding either. teams do what they think they have to do.
Another thing. Howard just won’t leave the game and he’s clearly done for, yet Ortiz had plenty left with the bat and walked away. Same could have been said of Vlad few years back. Maybe not as much, but he could still hit. is it some players want to leave the game with some pride?
Baseball for 162 games destroys the body. It becomes a chore at some point.
I would LOVE to do THAT chore for just 1 day!
Exactly..by the way there’s always gotta be this guy!
Yes. That and maybe tired of long road trips.. away time from family, etc..
Same can be said of another player forgot above in Derrek Lee few years back that was willing to play but couldn’t get the money he thought was worth and still was a good hitting slugger.
Ortiz took some serious steroids. Show me where another player in MLB history that came close to his age 40 output
Yeah, because they didn’t test for steroids in 2016.
Ted Williams age 41 season:315/451/645. There’s one of many.
Stan Musial age 41. 330/416/506
Rickey age 40. 315/423/466. 37 steals.
… was just going to post Ted’s numbers. Good call. See also Edgar Martinez, Darrell Evans, Rickey Henderson, Ty Cobb, Carleton Fisk, Dave Winfield, etc … the steroid excuse is tired and juvenile.
Paul molitor.
Hell, Babe Ruth, who wasn’t exactly known for taking care of himself, batted 288/448/537 in his age 39 season.
29 homers 72 rbis. You conveniently left out some key stats. Next
Just because you can list examples doesn’t mean they are correct. Edgar not close. Darrel Evans not close. Let me check the others.
David Ortiz WAR was 5.1 in age 40 season. Rather than just throw out names list their WAR and you will see it is not even close. It’s juvenile to keep denying he took them
What are you defining as “close.”? You obviously have to put numbers into context. Everybody was hitting homers last year, remember? Freddy Galvis hit 20 home runs, for pete’s sake. Yeah, Paul Molitor didn’t hit 40 homers in his age-40 season because he wasn’t, you know, a home run hitter.
I understood the parameter of your post as “players who were still performing at a high level at age 40” and there are lots of them, generally some of the best players of all time, because the best players are generally the only ones who make it to age-40.
major league players are tested at a minimum of five times a season and in spring training as well. I’m still looking for proof but I can’t find it because it doesn’t exist.
Musial no williams no Rickey no
There are literally dozens of players in the majors who had more than 5.1 wins in their age 40 seasons. I don’t even have to look this one up; off the top of my head, Cy Young had 10.0 WAR in his age 40 or 41 season. Willie Mays had a higher WAR in his age 40 season. Babe Ruth, who took terrible care of himself, put up at least a 10-win season at age 36 or 37 (or maybe both) Ted Williams, whose 29 homers and 72 RBIs you cherry picked at, also played just 113 games in his age 41 season and still put up 3 wins. Great players perform well at older ages; that’s what makes them great players.
The argument was “nobody has a great season at age 40” or something and that’s clearly not true. I doubt that Cy Young, in 1908, was using steroids but he put up a 10-win season. I doubt that Babe Ruth, who put up a 5.1 WAR season at age 39, was putting anything into his body except cigars and alcohol.
… and hotdogs. That was the magic ingredient.
fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&…
David Ortiz’s 2016 was 7th for hitters.
Pitchers count too, though, in baseball? And it only makes sense that a great hitter will put up good numbers in an historically great season for offense. I just get annoyed by this absurd narrative that whenever a player does well he’s “taking steroids,” Without proof, there’s not really any reason for that.
And those pitchers weren’t exactly taking care of themselves either. They threw all game and every couple of days. Not just 100 pitches until the 7th inning guy took over until the lefty specialist got an out then made for the next specialist, the setup man and then the flier throwing 99mph. :/
@davidcoonece74. Clearly you don’t understand the argument because you keep bringing up Babe Ruth in his age 38 season. Willie Mays is the first one that you’ve given me that actually is correct but I hardly consider 271 batting average 18 homers and 70 RBIs as killing it but in that era I guess it was. If you’re using Cy Young a pitcher from 100 years ago as the example then you’ve made my point.
Look at it this way, Ortiz had his fourth best every year in terms of WAR at age 40 in his entire career!!!!! It is unheard of. You can keep denying it but it hurts and is true. There is no logical explanation for explaining what no one else in MLB history has accomplished. Other than the man was juicing.
Big Sloppi was using no doubt and the MLB testing has proven to be an absolute joke.
Okay. WAR is a context neutral metric, right? So a 10-win player in 1908 or 1971 or 2017 is always a ten-win player.. You brought up WAR originally, so that’s the metric I used. Then, for some odd reason, you brought up homers and RBIs again. Pick a stat or pick a metric or whichever, but stick with it. As far as Ortiz posting his fourth-best WAR then that’ is what it is. If it’s because of steroids, as you claim, then you don’t have a leg to stand on because there’s zero proof.
And again, at least a dozen players in major league history compiled more WAR than Ortiz did at age 40. That’s pretty easy to look up. WAR is WAR. ten wins in 1908 are the same as ten wins in 2017.
@Polish Hammer. Explain how MLB testing has been a joke please. More players get caught every year than the year before. Do you have data that the general public doesn’t?
List the dozen hitters in the modern era who had a WAR of greater than 5.1 at age 40. And list other hitters who had their 4th best year in their career at age 40. So far you’ve listed one (Mays) and one pitcher from one hundred years ago. In terms of proof, google Ortiz and steroids and tell me how many articles you find. Stop pretending the guy is a god and acknowledge he had severe help. You can also google image search Ortiz and twins. Big sloppy was juicing. If he wasn’t again please explain why he was doing things that NO other player in history has done.
Nolan Ryan, 1987-1991, pick a year, actually don’t, you cherry pick your arguments. You’ve been schooled on this discussion by many people and you can’t accept that you’re wrong.
Wasn’t Ryan Howard apart of a business venture called Athlead with Jim Halpert?
No. He was a temp for a paper supply company
That’s what she said. (I know it doesn’t work but I wanted to get a TWSS in)
With Ohtani, the bonus money will be irrelevant. It will come down to two possible factors:
-which team can circumvent the rules by promising a huge extension to be announced as soon it is allowed
-which team he wants to play for (based on team history/location/presence of other Japanese players he knows)
I bet factor #1 determines factor #2…..
no team will legally be able to guarantee that promise, nor have that promise guaranteed to them. If he bombs, the team can walk away. If he wins back to back Cy Youngs, he can walk away.
Howard….u are further done than Utley who is done as well….even Rollins may have more to offer than Howard….at least Rollins could pinch run occasionally….but in my opinion all 3 are done….they missed their opportunity to win the WS in 2012 when they were heavily favored to beat the over achieving Giants….