Japan’s Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters are expected to formally post ace/slugger Shohei Ohtani today once a new posting system between Major League Baseball, the MLB Players Association and Nippon Professional Baseball has been formally ratified by Major League owners. The proposed system reportedly calls for a 21-day negotiation period for Ohtani this offseason, so within three weeks of his posting, it will finally be clear which team he’ll be suiting up for come 2018.
Here’s the latest chatter on Ohtani as he sits on the precipice of negotiations with Major League teams…
- MLB.com’s Jon Morosi tweets that executives from multiple teams are of the belief that Ohtani’s preference is to sign in a market that does not already have an established Japanese star, though Ohtani’s agents at CAA have not commented on that possibility. Morosi also spoke to one of Ohtani’s teammates in Japan, former big leaguer Brandon Laird, who offered a similar suggestion (Twitter link): “I feel like he just wants to come and not be compared to other guys who have already been here — to start fresh on his own, show what he can do by himself.”
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman publicly stated his interest in Ohtani for the first time today, calling Ohtani a “perfect fit” and voicing a willingness to let him pitch and hit with the Yankees (all Twitter links via MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch). “It’s a big stage here and it’s meant to have the best talent to play on it,” said Cashman. “Ohtani represents the next great talent that is available in the world of baseball. This stage is made for players like this.” While the Yankees’ interest in Ohtani is hardly a secret, Cashman had yet to go on-record to discuss his interest in bringing Ohtani to the Bronx prior to today.
- Morosi also tweets that the conference call with MLB owners that will formally approve the posting agreement is set for 1pm ET this afternoon. The meeting is a formality at this point, though, and Ohtani is expected to be posted shortly thereafter.
I don’t buy that he doesn’t want to be on a team with another Japanese player. Wouldn’t he want someone to communicate with?
It might just be possible that he speaks English.
I seriously doubt it. When was the last time a Japanese player came over here already speaking English?
He’s young and he has wanted to come to the MLB for multiple years, so I’d guess he has a grasp on English and is motivated to learn it.
“Already an established Japanese star” was the actual wording. Difficult to know what that means exactly, or if it reflects his actual views, but if taken literally does not rule out signing with a team with another Japanese player. They also have this thing called translators. Most non-English speaking players have one.
The impression I got from that statement was that he didn’t want to go to a market with a current or previous Japanese star. For example, Seattle had Ichiro, NYY have Tanaka and Texas had Darvish, LAD had Nomo. Maybe those are they markets he will avoid so he won’t be compared to them?
(And I’m sorry, my comments always double post and I don’t know why.)
This is all just impressions of impressions, not even as valid as hearsay. I don’t put a lot of stock in any of it. This player is still a riddle wrapped in an enigma.
Not seeing double posts from you….
Mike my comments always double post as well. But on my phone yours did not double post. Maybe it appears on our phones tjat its a double post but maybe no one else sees it which would be great
Guys it only shows as double posts to you. It does it to everyone. Everyone else only sees it once.
For Ohtani I hope he enjoys playing in Tampa or Milwaukee where he can be the Japanese star and lose 90 games a year.
Awww shoot. The Angels once had Hideki Matsui and Shigetoshi Hasegawa on their rosters, so I guess you can count them out of the running. Bummer.
The Angels would be a perfect fit then
They were crap tho and didn’t leave a mark with the team and fans lol
C’mon over to the Mets!! It’s basically their only shot at him.
You forgot Kaz Matsui and Tsuyoshi Shinjo.
Or is this just press hype to keep 29 other markets believing that he might not go to the Yankees?
Ichiro has had a translator his entire career even though he speaks English very well.
Isn’t that what an interpreter is for? Plus he may not want the comparisons.
My point is having someone he can personally speak to. And I don’t know that he does or does not speak English
“He chats easily among the Japanese players. He practices his improving English with the gaijin.” (American Players)
si.com/mlb/2017/04/06/shohei-ohtani
I really think most teams he would be interested in have enough gregarious players that communication wouldn’t be a problem.
For instance, he’d get along famously with Corey Seager, Carlos Correa, Aaron Judge, Kris Bryant, or Francisco Lindor. None are noted as Japanese speakers. And if they were, that wouldn’t be why they’d get along.
I don’t think a teammate is a confidant just because you speak the same language. If he wants someone he can bring a friend/family member with him over. He’s young. He might not have much in common with a player 10 years old than him.
Every MLB city, no matter how small, likely has a Japanese-American society of some sort that’ll immediately contact him.
I’m just shocked., shocked I say, because Yankee fans have assured me that their Japanese stars past and present assure Ohtani will come to them. Sorry. This guy wants to blaze his own path. I’d guess he wants to go to a team he can help win it all, not a team that is already there.
@simschifan
You have a good point naturally so I assume he would like other japanese players but that its not like Darvish (and they are friends I heard) or like Tanaka.
Given that there are not really that many asian players, especially not including, the stars, I doubt it becomes a main reason to sign with a team. Maybe having other non star players from Japan or Korea would be a little boost or bonus for him.
But given the money he is leaving on the table to come it appears he really is focused on and overall good situation for himself that of course he is entitled to and should carefully choose for himself
@Coast1…
Today in conversations that never happened…
Like the San Diego Padres. Ohtani signs and plays in 2018 and the Padres also sign Moustakas to play third and provide left handed power. Each year there after, the Padre roster is fortified with 2-3 above average minor league players graduated to MLB as well as Free Agent signings to fill roster holes. The Padres [with Ohtani] could very well be contenders by 2020.
Once again say I am wrong but Oakland will come out on top in the Ohtani bidding. Just like Cespedes they will offer what he wants.
Lol, he wants to win. He’s NOT going to Oakland. He’s either going to the Yankees, Dodgers, Red Sox, Cubs, Astros or maybe the Giants. I’ll check back in 3 weeks and see who’s right.
Mariners
yep. he’s going to the emerald City.
I had him pegged as a Mariner along w Yu but this news kinda puts a wrench in the plan.
did he ever say he wanted to strictly go to a winner? and if so, give me an exact quote. if not, stop assuming what Otani wants unless you’re his agent or you are actually Otani himself.
He did say he wanted to play on the west coast. Is there a New York on the west coast? no. It is coming down to 3 teams Seattle, Oakland or LA Dodgers.
When did he say he wanted to play on the West Coast? Source, please!
Oh yeh, Oakland is a great choice with Billy Beane ready to flip him at the trade deadline this year.
Don’t disagree that Seattle or LA might be the choice but Oakland????
Please!
Angels just moved for more money to offer him and the prospect of playing with the best player in baseball might be enticing.
Not sure how many ABs LAA can offer, though.
Oakland is getting a new stadium and is pushing him to be the face of the franchise if he signs. They also promised he would get to play in the outfield. Sorry rocky7 I see crow in your future dinner.
The A’s will move to Portland before they get a new stadium in the bay area.
Well with the Giants I think their bid for Ohtani would have to be tied somehow with the fate of Stanton. Considering Ohtani probably won’t be making serious money for 3 years the Giants might be able to take both on.
But I think the Rangers are a team that should be considered as a serious possibility.
Giants will need to take on all of Stanton’s money will tie their team up for years. Madbum will need to be extended too.
It’s just a thought. It would require a lot of moving parts and a lot of future planning and probably having to up the team salary level to luxury tax level. But it’s not impossible.
Giants? Really? After a 98-loss season?
I desigree with you 150%
I disagree with the way you spell.
Apparently, according to Yahoo Japan, t’s down to 3 teams.
Yankees, Dodgers, aaaand My Padres!!
Preller has been scouting this kid since his time w the Rangers. Also here he prefers to sign w a team who doesn’t have a Japanese star already. Padres FO has Nomo, Otsuka, and Saito. His agent is from SD,his former trainer is employed by The Padres,and maybe he likes the fact he won’t have enormous pressure to perform right away and can get acclimated. One can only hope
I read the same article from Japan
Interestingly the two players he said, on camera, he would like to face are both NL players. As a hitter he wants to face Kershaw. As a pitcher he wants to face Harper.
Interesting both are free agents in 2019 and we all know Harper will be a Yankee.
How?
Link?
si.com/mlb/2017/04/06/shohei-ohtani
If you mean “he said it on tape. It’s part of the 60 minute interview.
I was talking about the link to that Japan article stating it was down to 3 teams.
Sorry
They also said there another 2 teams involved as well
Link?
Well according to an article i read in Yahoo Germany, he’s decided to sign with the White Sox
The link is in Japanese. I only saw the translation in a screenshot, no link, sorry.
Sounds incredibly unreliable then lol
headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20171201-00066279-nkspo…
If that’s true, I hope your Friars get him!
Needs to go to the NL, once again the DH problem.
Why? He can pitch once every five days in AL and DH the rest. Problem solved.
We already know he doesn’t do that in Japan and they pitch on a six-man rotation. Other than that, perfect reasoning.
Doesn’t do what, play the field? Because that’s what he doesn’t do over there. He DH’s.
In Japan he doesn’t DH on all the days when he doesn’t start. He’s rested on at least two of those days. Even if an MLB team allowed him to divide his attention between pitching and hitting this way (not a sure thing), do the math. His opportunities to hit in MLB as a DH are less than they might seem.
I haven’t seen anyone suggest he DH’s every game between starts. I’ve seen 2-3 games in between suggested.
Two would be the maximum any MLB team would allow, I suspect.
Depends on if there is a team off day in between starts as well.
Exactly. It’s more like he needs to go to the AL. Once again the no DH problem.
Well, could be a problem if he actually wants to field a position and not just be a DH. That way he can show he can play defense as well as hit as well as pitch.
But, he doesn’t hit the day he pitches in the AL!
“But, he doesn’t hit the day he pitches in the AL!”
Why not. The DH is not mandatory.
He could, but his team would have to go without the DH for those games.
he’ll most likely just be a DH until he gets used to the game here
14-9, 3.45 era. BA .231, 5 hr, 21 RBI
I’m a White Sox fan. I will take that because it means we have his arm for 5 more years after the first year. Also, 2018 is a rebuilding year for them so his offense doesn’t matter. If he is bad offensively after a year or two, it’ll just go by the waist-side anyway,
Lol at the stats you’re using. Wins and losses? Batting average? RBI? Give me a break lol plus Ohtani was injured last year. Which 5 mins of tape and tell me this guy isn’t legit, especially as a pitcher.
Lol you should become a scout lol
Well that wasn’t exactly my point. Anyone who watched Ohtani can tell he’s one of the better pitchers in the world when healthy. Go watch video of him dominating MLB all stars. And the stats from his last healthy season in 2016 certainly back that up anyways
Really think Texas has a good shot here with the up front money, Darvish just left–but they have the support system in place with a translator, etc and they have been in touch with Ohtani before he became the star he is now.
That relationship was w Preller
So it’s basically down to 29 teams now.
Yes, but which 29 teams?
Probably the 29 teams with a fanbase.
Honestly, it’s impossible to tell if that’s a dig at the Rays or the Marlins
Maybe both, so reduce that number to 28. Finally, we’re getting somewhere!
I guess the answer is yes
I assume the Braves are out because their restrictions are such that Ohtani would have to pay the Braves to play for them.
If he doesn’t want to come to a team with an experience with Japanese players, that rules out both the Yankees and Dodgers. And Texas.
Probably wishing thinking, but sounds like the Phillies to me:
No prior Japanese star, he’ll get to bat when he pitches, deep pockets, ready to start spending and contending.
I can dream
i dont know, the impact of Tad Iguchi on the 2007 squad may be hard to overcome.
Tad? I thought his name was So .
Best article I’ve read yet about Otani’s head desires and preferences
Note before reading … The Japanese reporter doesn’t predict or even assume the Yankees are the favorites.
nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/japanese-r…
All depends on what is meant by establish Japanese Star. and again proves he’s not going to follow what we’ve seen before out of Japanese players. It adds one more hint that he’s not interested in a big stage but one that allows him to develop and be himself.
But this latest information is coming from Moroni and it depends on whether you trust Moroni or not.
I wonder how many of those “executives from multiple teams are of the belief that Ohtani’s preference is to sign in a market that does not already have an established Japanese star” …. does not have an established Japanese star?
Pretty good bet it’s all of them. What else would they say?
Every Japanese MLB player is a star in Japan. So maybe he doesn’t want to play with any of them.
We all know he’s going to be a Yankee
@antsmith7
It appears he will not be a Yankee but we will no for sure in a few weeks
Wow. If true, this is a huge revelation since it would eliminate the Yankees – a presumed favorite to land him.
Now, there are two ways to read this report.
1- He doesn’t want to go to a team that has ever had a major Japanese star because he doesn’t want the comparison. This seems to be how Laird interprets the speculative news. That would eliminate a number of teams that were heavy favorites – The Yankees, the Dodgers, Seattle, Boston, and Texas.
It also could eliminate the Cubs depending on how he feels about Fukudome. While the guy was very good in Japan, I don’t recall him being on the level of Nomo, Matsui, Ichiro, Darvish, etc… He also only played briefly for the Cubs. Not sure if that matters, though.
2- He doesn’t want to play on a team with a current Japanese star. Perhaps he feels that doing this would hurt his endorsement opportunities- which are going to be a very disproportionate amount of his income due to the signing restrictions. This would still eliminate the Yankees since Tanaka opted-in to his deal. But it might also explain why news/rumors on Darvish has been on-existent this off-season.
There’s a third way
3) Of all the wild eyed Ohtani speculation this has to be the biggest reach of them all.
If he played for an NL team that let him play outfield when he’s not pitching (unlikely, I know) and he got enough outfield ABs to qualify, could he win the Silver Slugger as both a pitcher and an outfielder? That would be cool.
What if he won both Triple Crowns? The first Sextuple Crown winner?
” he win the Silver Slugger as both a pitcher and an outfielder?”
He has done similar in Japan. He won the Best Nine award as the best SP and then as Best DH. After that he followed up by winning their MVP award as well
Everything I’ve read about Ohtani paints him as a quiet, reserved guy. I see him going somewhere where he will be relatively left alone. I’m thinking Minnesota, San Diego, or a Midwest team like St. Louis or Kansas City.
I hope he signs with the Astros. They could nontender Gattis and Fiers and replace them with Ohtani.
Its amazing these elaborate, detailed worlds people have built themselves around little to no information.
You mean… rumors? It’s almost like that is what this place is for or something.
Please pick the padres they make so much sense
Does Nishioka count?
Sleeper team…Padres. Nomo and Ohtsuka in the front office. His former trainer works for the Padres and his agent is from San Diego. They will sell him on the city. Chill…no horrendous pressure. May not happen, but I think they have a shot
You may get your wish.
mobile.twitter.com/HeartofMLB/status/9366579421070…
I don’t think anyone knows anything about where Ohtani wants to go at this point. After he is posted today, he has about 21 days to decide. I wouldn’t think it will take him too long to decide, I would expect him to go to a contender.
I will be sooo freaking happy when the Stanton/Ohtani circus finally leaves town! Please dump or get off the pot!
He’s going to be compared to Tanaka, Darvish, Matsui, Matsuzaka, Nomo, and Ichiro whether he signs with one of those teams or not.
I have looked online and I see no quotes from Otani or his agent that says directly what he’s looking for. We can speculate all we want, but “word from baseball insiders” and “talk among MLB executives with knowledge of the situation” don’t mean anything.
MY speculation is that he’s looking for, in this order:
1) a team that will guarantee him a chance to both hit and pitch at the MLB level
2) a team that is ready to win now, and contend for a postseason berth in 2018.
3) a team with a city and culture he will be comfortable in
I can’t imagine other rumored concerns are all that important to him.
Angels gonna make a big run at him.
It is the Angels or the Padres. The Padres have everything he is looking for, including a nice spot in Left Field for him to play when he is not pitching. They also have a very loaded farm system, a pitchers park and several former Japanese MLB players in their front office. As far as living in the City, I don’t think any other City is better to live in than San Diego. Lastly, the Padres have never had a major Japanese Star play for their team.
I love the comments that assume that he would be very willing to DH when not pitching. We don’t know that in the least. He might be willing but may well wish to field a position when not pitching. You have to give that notion at least some consideration. He may well pick a NL team that will let him play the field over a similar offer from an AL team that will only consider him as a DH. All depends on his desire or lack thereof of playing in the field as well as hitting every day. What we think is best for him will make absolutely no difference in the end.
Reds have never had a Japanese player. And they’re interested (although they have very little pool money to offer)
m.reds.mlb.com/news/article/262579822/reds-interes…
If Ohtani wants a team with no established Japanese stars, let’s go further and project he signs with a team that never has signed a Japanese player. That’s one club — Cincinnati. Probably won’t happen, but it’s fun to throw it out there.
We need to stop putting our own thinking and desires into this. I love rumors. But I’ll wait and see where he lands since it doesn’t matter to me where he does end up.
Ohtani’s going to the Detroit….
Wait a minute their dumping everybody and going the Toledo Mudhens route. NEVER MIND
If was him, I’d go to a NL team that way he gets his AB and gets to pitch. I’d say SF since more Asian folks live here. Maybe the Mets or pirates as well
Why can’t he get at bats as a DH in the AL?
mobile.twitter.com/HeartofMLB/status/9366579421070…
It shouldn’t be long. According to several poorly translated Japanese articles he is already in the US to meet with teams and he does not want to hold up the market .
“The treasure of the Otani Japanese ball circle shaking the bat with the backpack of My Melody as a shoulder , embarked on the United States and stepped on the soil of the United States. Otani arrived in Los Angeles, headquartered in Tokyo, by late-night flight on 29th and agent office “CAA” (creative artists agency) to which Mr. Nes Valero in agent belongs.”
“Otani side who intends to not want to trouble the major transfer market already has information that it limits the candidate to about five teams, and the possibility of early settlement is high.”
headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20171201-00066279-nkspo…
nikkansports.com/baseball/mlb/news/201711300000785…
This reads suspiciously like the instructions that came with my VCR in the 1980s.
If that is true then the Yankees, Rangers, Dodgers, Mariners, and several other teams are off the table. All the teams that saved up big IFA pool money will be out of the running in the Ohtani sweepstakes.
OhCanatani
The fact is, nobody has any REAL clue where he’s going. There are so many smoke screens leaked by agents, GMs, even players.
And let me just say, the reason so many people detest Yankees fans is for comments like many of the ones below. You guys assume every big player is going to the Yankees simply because it’s the Yankees. As if it’s a forgone conclusion that every player only dreams of playing there. Guess what, they don’t. “We all know he’s going to the Yankees…”, “…Harper will be a Yankee in 2019…”. It gets old man. Your team and city is not the be all, end all for everyone.
Yep…some fans are young…some never grow up
And the winner is…Minn-E-SOH-ta
don’tchaknow
You want to both pitch and play the field and hit kid.
Then come to the Cubs, because no one works a roster better
than Joe Maddon.
I will have him call you first thing in the morning.