Japanese sensation Shohei Otani is reportedly primed to head to the majors in the offseason, but don’t be surprised if he changes his mind, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times writes. The right-handed ace/left-handed slugger did just that in the past when it looked as if he’d come to North America out of high school, but he instead decided to play professionally in his homeland. Some major league executives wonder whether an agent will talk Otani out of leaving Japan in the offseason, given that the 23-year-old would stand to benefit financially (to an enormous degree) by waiting until he’s 25. At that point, he’d be able to sign a mega-deal that would crush the relatively small contract he’ll land if he makes his way to the big leagues during the upcoming winter.
- Thanks in part to the international spending limits in the new collective bargaining agreement, where Otani will sign in the offseason if he does emigrate from Japan in the offseason is “shrouded in mystery,” according to Buster Olney of ESPN. “It’s incredible how many unknowns there are,” one evaluator said of Otani, who could consider factors such as geography, market size, friendships, endorsement opportunities and the designated hitter rule when choosing a team, Olney suggests.
- The Mets have some reservations about using ace Noah Syndergaard again this year, Matt Ehalt of The Record reports (on Twitter). Unsurprisingly, if Syndergaard does return in 2017, the Mets will need to be convinced he’s at full strength. The flamethrowing superstar hasn’t pitched in the majors since April 30 because of a torn right lat, and while he has been working his way back recently, there’s not exactly a need for the out-of-contention Mets to deploy him again this season.
- Newly retired right-hander Ryan Vogelsong could have continued his career after Minnesota released him in March, but he told Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle and other reporters that he “checked out mentally” after the Twins cut him (Twitter links here). Vogelsong received minor league offers earlier this season, including from the Mets, but he didn’t want to move his family to Las Vegas – the home of their Triple-A affiliate.
- J.J. Cooper of Baseball America (subscription required and recommended) highlights 10 prospects who have taken major steps forward this year. The biggest name on the list is Phillies first baseman/outfielder Rhys Hoskins, who has mashed a record 18 home runs in his first 36 big league games since debuting Aug. 10. Hoskins gained more believers among scouts as he climbed closer to the majors, notes Cooper, who expects the 24-year-old to be a long-term impact player in Philadelphia.
the Phillies are quietly and quickly building a quality lineup and bullpen. You just gotta figure out who’s the other two starters outside of Nola, Eickhoff and Lively next year
They should put Velazquez in the bullpen and make him the closer, they need to sign an ace or maybe a second tier guy like alex cobb. Possibly trade their prospects for a young ace to join nola. And maybe a veteran bat in that line up.
“a veteran bat in that line up.”
Two of them.
Bryce Harper and Manny Machado.
Good things come to those who wait.
Maybe take a shot at Cobb or darvish this offseason
Big market…why not both?
Everyone in the lineup will take a step backwards next year because that’s what young hitters do in today’s MLB.
The Phillies have given up the first pick in the draft next year after torturing their fan base with this loser all thew way into the last month of the season.
This front office of MacPhail/Klentak and the former GM’s is grotesquely incompetent.
Thor is going to make a difference in 2017!
“TC” was quoted in the dugout tonight, “thor is going to start tomorrow and two more times this season. He will pitch a minimum of 7
Innings or 125 pitches per game.
We don’t care what the results, or if he struggles. He’s going to earn some of Fred’s money.”
I’m wondering what kind of price point Otani ends up at. Even if he is an absolute monster at the plate and on the mound, I can’t see anybody paying him full value for both. You’re talking about upwards of 40 million a year! If he blows out his arm, we’re gets hurt at the plate, then you need to people to replace him…
I think he could end up with a deal similar to Giancarlo Stanton’s, but not substantially more valuable. I
Someone, please explain baseball to him, I don’t have the patience.
Lol…Ohh man, where to begin…
Interesting… GareBear is what I call my son, but I know you’re not him both because he’s three and because I raise him to not be presumptuous and condescending toward people he doesn’t know.
If you’d like to contribute to this discussion– I am genuinely interested in what people think about Otani’s big contract– please feel free. Otherwise, I feel like you have better things to do with your time than insult me.
He won’t be getting a big contract until after he’s in the MLB for a couple of years because of international spending restrictions on people under the age of 25. Now I don’t know if this is allowed or not, but I could see a one year deal and then immediately sign an extension (or once he’s allowed to).
He could certainly be top 10 once he’s able to sign a mega-deal, though. Masahiro Tanaka got 7/155M without any MLB experience and Otani will have two years.
Or even a two-year deal. I think that would be the best course of action for him. But let’s say he puts up the numbers on both sides in those two years. He could be good for upwards of 16 WAR a season– that’s a relatively down year for Trout and then Pedro Martinez’s 1998 season. How much would you pay for that from one guy whose injury potential hurts you double, as it were? This is quite fascinating to me.
You don’t make a player who had never pitched/played in the states the highest paid player in the game. You understood this in your own message with one aspect, injury risk. Mafia Boss is what my seven year old son calls himself. Good job! You are a few years more mature than Care Bear.
He’ll have a couple years of
MLB experience before he signs his bog deal, though. Tanaka had none and got 7/155M. What if Otani is sitting at 16 WAR? It’s plausible if he’s a star on both sides.
Otani and darvish to the Phils would send them straight into contention. Maybe pick up a reliever and a veteran bat but they have the young core and pitching
I actually have pictured darvish going to the phillies. But Otani has no chance of going to philly
Idk, it certainly would be interesting to see if Darvish’s decision has any impact whatsoever on Otani…
Now, I doubt either end up in Philly, or the NL East for that matter, but does anyone know if the two are even really close or share any type of friendship??
I know I’ve read older reports that stated Otani really respects Darvish, and he also looks up to Yu Darvish as a role model, but I’m pretty sure he looks up to, and has a good deal of respect for several players..
With all of that being said, does anyone know the extent of their friendship, or heard any rumblings about Darvish’s ultimate destination having any impact on Otani’s future landing spot whatsoever??
Plus the Mets are slated to lose 100 next year with no money being spent on meaningful free agents. They may go through the motions however there are no takers of the Wilpon’s slimy money.
I could also see otani going to an AL team so that he could hit every day as well as pitch every 5th
The Angels need a young ace in that rotation, richards keeps getting hurt plus skaggs and heaney.
Every team wants a young ace
The Phillies are coming!