Shohei Ohtani has completed meetings with the seven finalists for his services, reportedly going through an exhaustive set of seven face-to-face meetings in Los Angeles over a 48-hour period. Now that he’s met with each of the Mariners, Padres, Cubs, Angels, Rangers, Dodgers and Giants, Ohtani will spend anywhere from the next few days to the next two weeks deciding on where he’ll sign his first pro contract in the United States. He has until Dec. 22 to make that call, though the expeditious manner in which he met with the finalists lends some speculative optimism that he could reach a conclusion well before that deadline.
Here’s the latest on Ohtani…
- Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic writes (subscription required & recommended) that there are those in the game who wonder if Ohtani’s decision has already been made. The expedited manner in which Ohtani eliminated 23 teams and then met with seven finalists has been a point of frustration for some clubs, Rosenthal writes, noting that execs from some East coast teams have privately wondered why they were asked to put so much time into their presentations for Ohtani when he ultimately eliminated the East coast in one swoop.
Earlier Updates
- Giants GM Bobby Evans tells John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle that in addition to manager Bruce Bochy and several front office executives, the Giants brought Buster Posey to their meeting with Ohtani and his representatives. Ohtani’s translator said at the meeting that the 23-year-old was impressed by Posey’s “great aura, and Evans tells Shea that Ohtani has watched and admired Posey’s play in the World Series and other settings. The Giants envision Ohtani starting once per week, and Evans wouldn’t even rule out the possibility of him playing some center field. “Some scouts see him being able to play all three [outfield positions] very capably,” says Evans. “It’s a matter of what’s best for him.”
- In an excellent column at MLB.com, Mike Petriello utilizes Statcast to break down Ohtani’s skills and generate comps based on current big league stars. MLB.com obtained Trackman data on Ohtani’s 2017 season, giving them 231 plate appearances and six starts to dive into, and while the sample is small, it’s certainly enough to see some trends in terms of velocity, spin rate and average exit velocity. Per Petriello, Ohtani’s average 97.5 mph fastball would’ve ranked second among MLB starters, and his max velocity of 101.6 mph would rank among the hardest pitches thrown by any starter in the Statcast era. The velocity and spin rate on Ohtani’s fastball are strikingly similar to Luis Severino, Petriello points out (though spin rate may not be a direct comp due to the different balls used between MLB and NPB). On the offensive side of the coin, Ohtani’s max 111.1 mph exit velocity was greater than the hardest-hit ball of more than 70 percent of MLB players in ’17. His exit velo on fly-balls and liners ranks alongside several of the game’s top overall sluggers. The fascinating column only further builds intrigue around what Ohtani can do in a Major League setting.
- Fangraphs’ Travis Sawchik, meanwhile, notes that the Cubs can offer a unique benefit that no other suitor can: (relatively) limited travel time. While all Major League players spend an obscene amount of time flying from destination to destination, the Cubs’ setting in the Midwest means they travel as many as 10,000 miles less per season than the Rangers and upwards of 23,000 fewer miles than the Angels and Mariners in a given season (based on Chris Ford’s mileage estimates for the 2017 campaign). It may be a minor benefit, but as Sawchik notes, for a player whose recovery time will be monitored closely than just about any in baseball as he attempts the rigors of two-way play (at least to some extent), there’s some degree of appeal.
Brooklyn Zephyrs have the inside track.
Hoboken *
Bah, whatever. It’s from Twilight Zone.
Anyone want any lasagna? I made too much.
You’re from twilight zone…and no I don’t want your lasagna!!! Ok I’ll take some but I wont like it…ok I might like it….thanks for the lasagna
Lasagna sounds pretty good right now actually
mmmmm lasagna, puts my dinner to shame
Did you put smoked sausage in it? My wife does and it’s brutal?
Brutal bad or brutal good?
We had bbq beans,tater salad, brisket,sausages,ribs and chicken tonight. But lasagna sounds good with smoked brisket in it.
Brutal bad, kids love it so I lose.
“Garlic bread?” he asked knowingly.
Is brutal a question?
Giants’ brass are awfully confident in their pitches to players.
Is it good or bad? Posey definitely helped no other team has a hall of fame catcher right now.
Molina will make the Hall. Posey is better, but Molina will make it on a later attempt.
Posey is not a HOF’er yet
3 world series rings, mvp, batting title, roy, gold glove, couple silver sluggers. Not sure what else you want from him. 308 career BA at the toughest position in baseball.
How so? He’s a no-brainer first-ballot guy.
He’s a Padres fan, what more needs to be said?
What’re you smoking
As a Phillies fan, I can agree that Posey is a first ballot for the hall. You’re crazy if you think otherwise.
Gets a concussion and plays middle of the road baseball the rest of his career at first… talk to joe Mauer on people talking about hall of fame half way through a catcher’s career.
Thanks for support philly fan. Also Bruce is the real Marlboro man.
Pablo how many WS did Mauer win. I would consider Mauer a HOF caliber player for good decade he was the best catcher in the game is an incredible hitter. Avg and OBP are great. Might be a fringe HOF player now.
Mauer has zero rings dude, what an asinine comparison. Buster Posey is a generational catcher, that’s really not debatable. Once he’s reached the required service time for the Hall he become a first ballot HOF’er. His closest comparison is Derek Jeter, not Joe Mauer.
cubs have 2 HOF catchers. and if they get ohtani they’ll have 2 babe ruths as well
So are you a butt hurt cards or Sox fan?
Gary Sanchez has potential to be the GOAT.
as a terrible defensive catcher?
Sanchez has horrible blocking, but does have a really good arm. Threw out 38% of runners trying to steal on him.
Yadier Molina should have no problem getting in
Perhaps, as a paying customer. He is really good but just miss HOF, imo.
His defense was so outrageously good that he might get in despite the fact that his offense was pretty sub par for the first half of his career.
That last note makes it even funnier that Joe Maddon blamed the Cubs poor start last year on being tired.
Well he’s not wrong. That’s one of the reasons it’s so hard to repeat and one of the reasons the Giants have gone through three separate cycles of winning the WS and then not even making the playoffs the next.
Nope…it’s laziness. Teams rest on their laurilies when they should want to improve even more.
seriously it is tiredness – when a team goes deep in the playoffs they have to play a good additional month and then between press and appearances etc have at least a couple more months before they can settle down – at that point you are only a couple months away from spring training and if you are a younger player you may even end up in the AFL or winter league as well –
Nope…laziness…they rest on their laurilies
If they can test on their laurels and get back to the NLCS, imagine what they could do if they cared!
What are laurilies?
The hot lady from gilmore girls
WTF are laurilies? Thought it was a typo until you typed it twice.
Oh – and you don’t know what you are talking about.
Ya I do.
Hahahaha! Best of the thread.
I’d rest on her
Lol no it’s not tiredness. Look at the Yankees in the late 90s early 2000s. Even look at the dodgers going to the playoffs every year for the last 5 years. Stupid excuse
You guys don’t know anything about laurilies!! i’m the only one who knows about laurilies!!
Not an issue. The Mariners have offered to let him fly the plane!
it also doesn’t mention that the Padres have the best travel schedule in the league in terms of miles flown i believe
allmysportsteamssuck.com/2017/04/05/which-mlb-team…
According to this article, in 2017, they were 7th in miles flown. Cubs were 2nd to last.
Of course, some of that depends on which interleague division you’re playing in any given year, but probably not enough to drop them to the bottom of the pack.
That is incorrect. The Padres travel the seventh most miles, while the Cubs travel the second least, per the chart in the linked article above.
Not even the best in their league. That would be the Rockies. What you smokin’?
Hey! Why did we get off laurilies so quickly? They are an important aspect of the game.
98-00’ Yankees…also plenty of teams that make deep runs and fall short in consecutive years…etc. etc. I’m tired of the excuses.
Too much beer and fried chicken in the clubhouse!
Mmmmm beer and chicken sounds great
I hope he picks an AL team so he can DH. He would be worn out playing OF and then starting pitcher. There is a routine that starters follow on their off days. This all takes time. You would also think that OF throws and warm up OF throws would also take a toll on his arm.
Not sure how feasible that is.
In the NL, he’d get 50-90 at bats a season just on the days he’s pitching alone. So even if he ended up busting with the bat, he’d still be guaranteed those at bats. He wouldn’t get that with AL teams.
NL teams can just offer to go to a six man rotation like he is already accustomed to in Japan.
If I recall correctly, he has pretty decent speed, so he could become a passable fielder. I don’t believe he has much exposure to the field though, so perhaps he would rather get his ABs as DH, but if he busts as a hitter, interleague play will be his only chance to hit.
The Japanese Babe Ruth needs to play outfield!
Well I mean depending on the organization, if he shows he can routinely go deeper into games/is allowed to there wouldn’t necessarily need to be a DH on the day he pitches. That said he’d have to show he can swing it regularly. Theoretically Ohtani can lengthen a bench.
I doubt he is allowed to bat on the day he pitches in the AL because that means there is no DH allowed after he exits the game. The pitcher or a pinch hitter, meaning a double switch most of the time, would have to bat each time.
Not only that, but Ohtani would have to be consistently better than whoever else could DH.
Actually, in the AL he could DH when he is pitching. You just have to put the DH in the field and then the pitcher bats. So AL teams could easily do that, and deal with needing to PH for the pitcher in the later innings. It’s a bit risky, but AL teams definitely would have incentive to employ it if they’re weak at DH.
“Actually, in the AL he could DH when he is pitching. You just have to put the DH in the field and then the pitcher bats. ”
Not quite sure what all of that is supposed to mean. The DH can only be used for the pitcher so if Ohtani is batting for himself there is no DH for that entire game. His last two full seasons in Japan (not counting the injury plagued 2017) he averaged over 7 innings a start. Granted the NPB is not the MLB but it does show his stamina.
If he can go 6-7 in the MLB an AL club would need to pitch hit for the pitcher in the later innings.
If the Giants get Ohtani and Stanton both, we will begin to hear how they are locks for the title next year. Happens every time a team loads up a couple studs. Not a Dodger fan at all, but even with those guys, the Dodgers roster still looks much stronger than the Giants. And they still have more talent on the way.
Giants would be intriguing for sure, but there is too much uncertainty and a lack if depth there to say that they were better.
I still say he winds up with an AL team. The hitting part just doesn’t work in the NL without the DH. Smoltz says it will be significantly more difficult for him to be a successful hitter in the NL.
What if he ends up only a below average hitter after the first season?
What AL team would let him get 300 AB’s as DH hitting 8th?
In the NL even if he ends up a less than great hitter he knows he will at least get 3-4 AB’s every time he pitches.
He won’t get “any” in the AL if his bat doesn’t translate.
So having to make up 32 games at DH just to get what he would normally get in a NL season at pitcher alone makes sense? Really don’t think so. If that was the case more AL teams would of made the final cut. Seems Seattle made it solely because of ichiro past as they have nothing to offer.
Smoltz said just the opposite on MLB Network tonight. He said Ohtani would get more at bats in the NL starting with 65-70 in the games he starts. Then another 7 games in interleague at DH and 50-60 games in the field. About 300 AB overall.
“”we will begin to hear how they are locks for the title next year.”
Yeah I seriously doubt you’ll hear that. lol
Honestly I think he makes a decision in 48 hours. He seems like the kind of guy who already knows what he wants. This entire process has demonstrated a lot of foresight and planning.
I should clarify that I don’t necessarily think the public knows the decision in 48 hours, but it will be made (and hopefully it leaks).
A couple days for negotiating and I figure an announcement no later than Sunday.
@Reflect……I think it was the Japan times that reported on 11/30 that he wanted to make a decision soon so he does not hold up the signing period for others. Everything he has done points to that possibly being true.
Man that’s mighty considerate of him…
I wasn’t aware that being considerate was a requirement to sign on a team
Ya, flight times are what he’s concerned about…dumb. What about the Brewers? Maybe they still have a shot.
He wants to be healthy and have a good regimen for recovery. Less travel time promotes more recovery time.
I don’t think anyone is saying that it is a deciding factor, but if things are all tied up/neck and neck, could that seal the deal? Perhaps.
He’s looking for the big dresser Kramer had on Seinfeld. The “Farbman”
boooooooooooo I’m changing my name to pronephilim
Average plane speed is 500mph so about 46 less hours in the air for playing with the Cubs vs the Mariners.
3:15pm? I don’t know I give up
Highly doubt flying time is going to play a factor. If it does at all, it’s more going to matter for his family’s trips to the US to watch games, not his. It’s not like you and me flying coach with crappy flight times. He’s going to be flying with a major league ballclub on private flights in a team plane.
@I like baseball….The Seattle Mariners have a clear advantage for Ohtani because Seattle’s Boeing Company has been secretly developing a wingsuit for Ohtani that will allow him to travel to any game, anywhere in the US within 2 hours.
This suit is expected to completed in time for the start of the 2018 MLB season and should be a major advantage for the Seattle bid…….. …..
But if he’s in Seattle he will have to play the Blue Jays, and they aren’t in the US.
Chicago Cubs closer and new Center Feilder.
He’s a starter I believe
So were the past two closers for the Cubs earlier in their career.
Difference is this guy isn’t coming over from Japan to close. He wants to start. No way will he go to The Cubs, if they only use him as a closer. Anyway, I think The Cubs have the lowest chance of the 7 teams in the running for him,
Oh wow, YOU think so?? I’m just giving up hope now that YOU think so. Thanks for the inside info.
I think a lot of others have the same opinion as me. He’s looking for a small market, West Coast team. Cubs do not fit that description, so it gives them a disadvantage to The Padres, Giants, and Mariners. Just don’t be surprised if he doesn’t sign with your Cubs.
As a Cubs fan, I also agree that the Cubs and Rangers probably still remain the longest shots to get him.
Small market west coast team would imply Oakland…certainly not SF. I think we can bury small market as a term for awhile.
SF is still a West Coast team.
No.
He f*cking players corner outfield heada**
We should read the tea leaves for what they are: he’ll probably select between San Diego, SF, or Seattle.
boooooo Dang you guys are culturally insensitive today.
Giants no way, bad minor league system, bad defense, bad depth team is old and geting older, station to station baseballwith or without him team will suck
Helping verbs help.
Does it help the Angels chances that Martin Maldonado was a Gold Glove Winner last year? I mean don’t get me wrong Buster is great but I would think that Ohtani might like the Angels’ catching situation as well
I would hope it helps. But doubt it’s going to play a big role if it does at all
I agree with you. He would also be able to play with Mike Trout and not have the pressure of being the face of the franchise. The Angels minor leagues are “improving”, but their 25 man roster has some solid players. Not saying they will win a title but with what they were able to do last season with basically a patched together starting rotation again with the injuries and Trout out for a month and a half, they realistically have a real shot of playoff contention and anything can happen. The only negative I can see is what is going on with their pitching staff the last few seasons? Is it bad coaches or training/conditioning programs injuring these guys or just bad luck. That I would consider if I was him for sure. As an Angels fan I’m hoping we get him of course.
Agree
I’m sure he’d like the catching situation in the majority of these cities. The Cubs have Contreras and the Mariners have Zunino. All 4 of those teams have great catching situations. I don’t think it’ll make a difference though.
Theo promised he would bring Zambrano back to pull him to Milwaukee,St. Louis and cincy in a rickshaw to keep his air miles even further down.
Really reaching for straws here lol. Mark it down Ohtani to the angels.
there are good arguments for all teams, but i don’t see any negatives about the angels in his situation
Padres. Hedges is a gold glove caliber and can grow w Ohtani for a decade unlike Posey who only has a handful of years left. Not to mention all if the other obvious connections.
logged in for the first time since MLBTR switched from disqus to say go padres. hoping we land the big fish in spite of everything for once
Get out! jk here’s a joke for you:
Matthew: How do baseball players keep in touch?
Connor: I don’t know. How?
Matthew: They touch base every once in a while.
Can I get a joke too?
Jokes for all!!!
Mike: Why was Cinderella so bad at baseball?
Matt: Why?
Mike: She had a pumpkin for a coach.
I promise you the Texas Rangers sign Ohtani. Everyone is sleeping on them. He had his mind mostly made up before he set foot in US.
Unfortunately, I agree. Texas gets him. A little birdie told me.
Rangers have been working on this for 6 years.. I believe the time put in pays off. Go Rangers.
Aura? Really?? What if Trout was there? Now that would be some “stank”.
Let’s get this done before December 7th.
Naa man, Aura is workin out in Vegas now. FYI- she broke up with Stank like three years ago.
Would love to see Ohtani on the Giants, but AT&T is just such an extreme pitcher’s park that’s RIP to left handed hitters. As a baseball fan first, I just want to see the guy in a position to succeed on both sides of the field. Because if this experiment fails, I doubt we’ll see clubs open to trying this again for another generation. But if it succeeds, and this being a copycat league, then we’re probably looking at the beginning of a baseball revolution.
The Padres are the last team he is meeting with and the only one he is meeting without another in the same day.
The Padres will put no pressure on him at the plate for a year or two.
The Padres employ is former trainer.
The Padres are a smaller market team which he prefers.
The Padres have no former Japanese superstars….which he prefers.
The Padres employ Hideo Nomo……who’s son is Ohtani’s interpreter.
Petco is a pitchers Park.
The Padres play in the NL which will allow him to hit even if he isn’t a great hitter in MLB because he will hit when he pitches.
The Padres have a great young defensive Catcher and one of the best Pitching Coaches in history.
The Padres also have a great Farm system so they should be competitive while Ohtani is still a young player.
Tell me why he will sign with the Rangers?
The Padres met with him on Tuesday night along with three other teams that same day.
There are other smaller market teams on his list as well, and it might not mean that much to him
The Angels also have no other Japanese star current or former.
Hideo Nomos son was the teams interpreter, not his personal one.
Almost every teams park is pitcher friendly besides the rangers and maybe cubs.
The AL teams can offer him something he was more accustomed to when playing in Japan.
The Angels, Giants, Cubs, and arguably the Mariners all have great defensive catchers.
Many other teams have great farms as well.
The Padres aren’t that special. Neither are any other team. That’s why there are still 7 teams left standing. They all have their selling points
Boom.
Other small market Teams?
He won’t choose Seattle if that’s who you’re referring too?
It will be an NL team……it will be a small market team and on the West Coast.
Hmm……wonder who that would be?
All reports are that he has already had him mind made.
If that’s the case it makes the most sense the last team he met with…..who employ Saito and Nomo…..are a small market West Coast Club,would be his choice.
Let’s revisit this after he chooses…..shall we?
He wants to hit……if his bat doesn’t translate to MLB….which many say will happen,who’s gonna let him DH instead of a much better hitter when he is also an Ace in their rotation?
This is why he will choose an NL team.
Even if he ends up a .220 hitter with limited power he will still get to hit in the NL.
You seem awfully confident in your Padres signing him. I think every person in here is just confident in their team, but it’s just being hopeful. I personally think it’s down to the Mariners, Angels, and Padres in my own opinion, with the Mariners being the favorite.
However, I’m also realistic and know that I have no idea as to what he’s thinking. I’ve already been wrong once in this process as I never thought the Yankees wouldn’t even get a meeting. Of course I hope he picks the Mariners, but in no way can I say it’s a sure thing.
Just like none of you can say it’s a sure thing he picks your team.
Are you ready to revisit? lol
I think when he said he wants to hit it was more than once a week which would net him nothing other than a possible high of 150 at bats or so and that’s if he starts 30 games which probably isn’t going to happen.
Best pitching coaches in history????
Great young Catchers in the league????
Great farm system?????
Me thinks your comments are a bit over the top and obviously fueled by being a Pads fan!
Now if Posey’s aura is anything like Rick James, then it’s a done deal.
F#&$ yo couch!
As a Cubs fan, i hope he comes to Chicago, obviously, but I doubt it. While people are saying he does not want to go somewhere that had a big Japanese player or to a big market team, neither of those things came from Ohtani or his canp. The New York Yankees, their fans, and their media (not a typo) made that stuff up to try to explain how they could possibly be told to take a hike. Truth is we don’t know his preferences other than his actions so far. He has eliminated 20 teams, with 3 rumored to have not made a play. of those teams eliminated are big, medium, and small market teams. Of the 7 remaining teams, you could categorize 5 of them as big market, especially looking at history of high payrolls, so the big market thing does not hold water. The contention that he wants to be the first big star from Japan wherever he goes does not hold water, either. Ichiro was one of the first and the biggest star to come from Japan and ge made his mark with rhe Mariners, who have had Japanese players on the roster for 20 straight years. Other teams on the final 7 have made big Japanese splashes, as well. I have heard that ge wants to go to a winner and I have heard he wants to help turn a down franchise around. The Padres have a bright future and fit that, but the Giants are bad and will be for quite some time, the Cubs are already a top team, the Angels have Trout, so anything can happen, yada yada yada. All over the competitive map. Even the play both ways “requirement” is a media assumption. Ohtani said it would be nice, but he sees himself as a pitcher and would leave it to his team to decide. The only thing we do know from the list is that he seems to favor the West coast, probably because it is closer to home, as 5 of 7 are in the west and he may prefer to come to nicer weather than his home, as 5 of the 7 are warm weather and even SF is certainly more palatable than Chicago most of the year. That whole assumption may be coincidence, too. The ballparks range from big pitcher’s park to hitter’s parks. The point of all this is that Ohtani knows what he wants and we do not and we need to stop taking the media thoughts as fact. Everyone said he was going to the Yankees and they did not even make the first cut. Everyone said it has to be an American League team, yet 4 of 7 are NL. He would probably get to hit on hus pitching day, one day in the outfield, and 1 pinch hit appearance every 5 or 6 days in the NL. in the AL, it is not much different. Like the NL, AL teams are not going to play him the day before or after a start. That leaves 2 days to DH. However, he would NOT be able to hit the days he pitches in the AL, unless a team wants to give up the DH position for the entire game, per the rules. I think a team would do it to start the season, mainly to make good on promises, but realize quickly that they have to pinch hit relievers 1-3 ABs per game that Ohtani starts and will go to using the DH again, thus cutting out his bat for his starts. If they don’t, he gets 11-14 ABs every 5 days in the AL. If they value the DH bat in the lineup, he gets maybe 8 ABs. In the NL, he gets 8 or 9 ABs every 5 days. So, 250 ABs in the NL for a season and 350 in the AL, if they decide to lose the DH spot every time he pitches. Otherwise, it is probably LESS ABs in the AL. Still, he has said he is a pitcher first and foremost, so I don’t know if that is even a thought. I think he ends up in the West and probably in Seattle, but, like the media and all of my fellow baseball fans not named Shohei Ohtabi, I don’t know
and pardon my typos from my phone
Original post- 556 words.
This comment- 726.
Take a breath.
Sorry. Got carried away. lol
1. It’s a 162 games season played primarily during the Summer—weather is relatively the same regardless of where your team is based. Also, half of those games are on the road. Weather is a moot point.
2. I doubt you’re from Chicago, or even a Cubs fans.
3. A paragraph or two wouldn’t kill you.
1. A good point about the weather. 2. I was born in Chicagoland and have lived here my entire life. I am probably the biggest Cubs fan you will ever come across. I even wrote a book about my beloved Cubbies. 3. As I explained, i wrote that winded post on my phone and was not too worried about structure or, clearly, keeping things short or concise.
Yeah, we know you wrote a book.
It’s written above.
Lmao @ mrnatewalter’s comment
Well played, Sir. lol
Robert……F is for Finally
How’d you know?
Google
I don’t know how much Ohtani really cares about the weather factor, because frankly, I’ve never met the guy. But, saying that the weather is relatively the same everywhere because it’s summer is relatively incorrect.
Nowhere has better weather in the US then San Diego, spring, summer or fall. Upper-60’s to mid-70’s most days, with very little humidity. The Angels would be up there as well, but it’s warmer more often in Anaheim.
If one truly cares about the weather, there’s no better weather in the continental US than San Diego.
Tell us how you really feel
Is it Illegal/against the the rules of MLB for Ohtani to contact Stanton to see what his plans are? Like, maybe he is on the fence about SF, or LA for that matter, could he check in with Giancarlo? I understand it may not matter to him, but just curious if it is allowed.
Of course its allowed. Players can contact each other. But why would Ohtani care what Stanton does?
You don’t see why the Giants making a huge leap to pick up one of the best hitters in the game might influence his desire to play there?
Even with Stanton AND Ohtani, the Giants are a 3rd place team, at best, in that division
“What’s best for Ohtani.” No way… you cannot say. It must be, “what is best for the team.”
I tend to agree. I think this was actually handled extremely poorly. The resources and amount of effort 23 other teams put forth was disregarded carelessly. Many of these teams spent years scouting him, as well as, submitted requested presentations.
It’s odd that I may make the only statement you’ll only hear once. The Marlin’s somewhat look smart here. Gah.
All I know is, this Ohtani thing was not handled well. I’ve said it all along, something isn’t right and there is a missing ingredient many of us are not seeing.
Something isn’t right? Because he’s picking teams that you disagree with?
You must really feel bad for all the teams that lose out on Free Agents in the off-season then. Every team got the questionnaire.. Not his fault if they didn’t impress him in their answers.
He has 3 weeks to sign, not an entire off-season like other free agents. Of course he needs to be quick and decisive. If he was truly limiting it, he wouldn’t have even sent out the 7 questions. Clearly the Cubs and Rangers said something right.
“execs from some East coast teams have privately wondered why they were asked to put so much time into their presentations for Ohtani when he ultimately eliminated the East coast in one swoop.”
If these are the execs from my team, I’d prefer that they resigned.
They didn’t like to spend (much) time into the presentation, so what? If I want something, I’ll try my best to get it, even if the odds are againt me
Maybe if the presentation was cativating, maybe Otani would had a meeting with them.
I don’t see the Rangers and the Cubs being on the West Coast, but it’s just me
I think everyone knows this, but he said he would pursue a career in Major League Baseball rather than turn professional in Japan, but guess what, the Fighters took a chance and draft him, and change his mind
With the international pool accumulation by Anaheim and Seattle, I think its down to them
If Ohtani is going to play the next six years with a club, his preference of team and city will be far more important than a few hundred thousands of dollars. Just my two cents.
Where can his left / right splits (pitching) be found?
I’m not even a fan of an east coast team, but I agree with the execs that say it was ridiculous for him to ask for an extensive presentation and response for teams that he clearly wasn’t going to go to in the first place
It was a 7 question sheet of paper they were asked to fill out. If an exec is complaining about that for the chance to land a 23 year old with worlds of potential, they need to find a new line of work
I agree. And if they chose not to fill it out they could have. Its not his fault their responses were underwhelming enough that it didn’t change his mind. Who is to say one or more of the 7 remaining teams aren’t there only because of the questionnaire?
@Robert George and Geez: exactly my thoughts, above 🙂
His decision is coming in the next 24 hours.
I dont blame the blackballed teams for raising issue with Ohtani’s camp. Alot of time and effort way way beyond simply filling out a questionaire was wasted. I would be furious.
MLB needs to begin revamping this whole process with Japanese and Latin American players. Japanese player should not be able to dictate what few teams he wants to play for.
Shohei get into the hopper with everyone else .
Do you feel the same about all free agents? Free agents, international or not, get to decide who they play for. Also, when was the last time that 27 teams had a serious interest in a FA? Would you rather he meet with 27 teams?
What he did was well thought out. He let the teams know what his priorities are and asked them to address those issues in a concise manor. If that took a lot of time and effort then that team has a pretty poor FO.
I remember Maddon being pretty open to letting pitchers hit and even field. If he was willing to let Strop play outfield of course he’d use Ohtani similarly. I could see Ohtani being swapped out for platoon advantages and then back in. Makes him very useful to a NL club if his defense is competent.
Why Ohtani will sign with the Padres or Mariners –
weather.com/news/weather/video/hills-ablaze-along-los-angeles-highway
Ohtani to the ANGELS!