Shohei Otani joins Angels

North_of_Border · Post #1 » by **North_of_Border** » Sat Nov 11, 2017 7:53 pm

Otani camp just confirmed it will the MLB parties. He will be posted this offseason. He will not get a monster contract too, it will be a cheap rookie salary. Yankees, Rangers and Twins can offer him the most money as per rules.

Ross Atkins was reported to have scoured Otani in Japan at one point this past season. Every team will make a run at him so obviously the Jays too. But what are the realistic chances?

Jays can’t offer too much money, so what do you sell him on?

Ong_dynasty · Post #2 » by **Ong_dynasty** » Sat Nov 11, 2017 8:08 pm

I assume with his skills he has move value in the nl?

flatjacket1 · Post #3 » by **flatjacket1** » Sat Nov 11, 2017 8:53 pm

North_of_Border wrote:He will be posted this offseason.
...
Jays can’t offer too much money, so what do you sell him on?

Worth noting the posting fee would be 20M if the agreement is extended through this off-season and the most he could sign for is 3.53M due to IFA rules.

The Jays have as good a shot as anyone, which means not a good one at all. Pretty much all teams can offer the same amount of all of them likely will. It's really his choice who he signs with, and money won't be a motivating factor. I'd say just based on the history of the Sox and Yankees (market share) they have the best chance but really for the first time in baseball history money wouldn't be the motivating factor in his decision.

North_of_Border · Post #4 » by **North_of_Border** » Sun Nov 12, 2017 12:03 am

Ong_dynasty wrote:I assume with his skills he has move value in the nl?

Not really. I think the AL is better suited for him.

The only advantage he has in the NL is that he can hit in the same game he pitches.

While he can’t do that in the AL, he can still play in the field maybe 2-3 times while he waits until his turn to pitch in the rotation. Then if he is ever exhausted from all the action or gets a minor injury from over work, the DH position will be a huge advantage.

The DH rule in the AL is the reason he “should” go there.

No?

BramptonYute · Post #5 » by **BramptonYute** » Sun Nov 12, 2017 3:13 am

Of course, if he says he'll come here and DH, you pay to get Morales the **** out of here, but that makes him a bit more expensive because they'll have to eat some of the morales deal and Idk how they feel about that lol.

Dont think the Jays have a shot so my hopes arent up.

dagger · Post #6 » by **dagger** » Sun Nov 12, 2017 2:26 pm

After the Yu Darvish PR fiasco where fans were allowed to think Toronto was a serious bidder, I am not paying any attention to the Otani bidding except hoping he goes to the NL.

Santoki · Post #7 » by **Santoki** » Sun Nov 12, 2017 4:35 pm

Probably less than 1%. Fingers crossed for NL.

Tanner · Post #8 » by **Tanner** » Sun Nov 12, 2017 10:27 pm

I don't see why he would go to the NL if he wants to play everyday. Yes, he will bat on the day he pitches, but what about the other days? A team like the Dodgers are stacked in the outfield. Who are they going to bump for Otani?

I think an AL team has a good chance, especially if they promise him the DH position on the days he doesn't pitch, which seems more reasonable since he wouldn't have to make throws from the outfield and things like that when his arm would likely be tired.

My hunch is he goes to the Yankees, which would obviously suck for the Jays, but they need a DH and have had a history with Japanese players. I hope he goes to the NL, though.

Skin Blues · Post #9 » by **Skin Blues** » Mon Nov 13, 2017 5:32 am

Sign Otani, and on the games he pitches we let him hit and use the DH for Goins. Assuming Tulo is out with a pulled hamstring before opening day.

And1Skip · Post #10 » by **And1Skip** » Mon Nov 13, 2017 2:34 pm

Skin Blues wrote:Sign Otani, and on the games he pitches we let him hit and use the DH for Goins. Assuming Tulo is out with a pulled hamstring before opening day.

To get Otani to hit on the games he pitches, would he have to start the game as the DH and some nobody at P, and then make the line-up change to move him to P thereby forfeiting the DH spot?

Skin Blues · Post #11 » by **Skin Blues** » Mon Nov 13, 2017 7:53 pm

And1Skip wrote:
Skin Blues wrote:Sign Otani, and on the games he pitches we let him hit and use the DH for Goins. Assuming Tulo is out with a pulled hamstring before opening day.

To get Otani to hit on the games he pitches, would he have to start the game as the DH and some nobody at P, and then make the line-up change to move him to P thereby forfeiting the DH spot?

Yeah, Goins would have to face one batter to use the DH for him. Damn... there goes my grand plan. Could just forfeit the DH but then if Otani only lasts a few innings we'll have some fun watching our relief pitchers swing the bat.

Post #12 » by **Schad** » Mon Nov 13, 2017 8:15 pm

What you need is a left-handed Otani. Start them in LF, and then alternate the two based on matchups. By god, we might be able to get a seven-hour nine-inning game!

Post #13 » by **JaysRule15** » Tue Nov 14, 2017 1:18 am

These fantasy scenarios are really making me want Otani. Please come through, Shapkins :pray:

Post #14 » by **spykelee** » Tue Nov 14, 2017 1:44 am

No chance

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polo007 · Post #15 » by **polo007** » Tue Nov 14, 2017 2:41 am

Read on Twitter

Post #16 » by **JaysRule15** » Tue Nov 14, 2017 4:05 am

spykelee wrote:No chance

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You have to believe man. Nobody thought we'd be able land Kendrys Morales in free agency either, but we did.

BramptonYute · Post #17 » by **BramptonYute** » Tue Nov 14, 2017 2:49 pm

I think he goes to the Mariners

polo007 · Post #18 » by **polo007** » Tue Nov 14, 2017 6:55 pm

Read on Twitter

Precisely what Otani’s way of thinking is remains somewhat shrouded in mystery, but Dan Evans, the Blue Jays’ head of Pacific Rim Operations, has been the club’s point man on the ground, building up a base of knowledge about the 23-year-old. Major-league scout Jim Skaalen “spent weeks watching him play and understanding the pieces of the puzzle,” said Atkins, while assistant GM Andrew Tinnish, pro scouting director Ryan Mittleman and scout Jon Lalonde also went to Japan for first-hand looks.

“Everything we’ve learned about Otani is that it’s baseball and baseball first,” said Atkins. “He’s thinking about how he can be one of the best athletes in the world.”

To that end, it’s sensible for the Blue Jays to position themselves as the team to help him reach those goals, especially since money won’t provide the tipping point in the bidding. Since Otani is under 25, his signing will count against a team’s international bonus pool, which is hard capped between $4.75-$5.75 million depending on a club’s market size and revenue.

The Blue Jays are on the lower end of that scale and spent heavily in July, but they acquired some pool room from the St. Louis Cardinals in a trade for minor-leaguer Lane Thomas during the summer and are believed to have slightly more than $1 million to work with right now.

That, in concert with the opportunity to play both ways the Blue Jays are willing to offer, plus the tools to make the endeavour succeed is how Atkins and company could try to sell Otani.

rarefind · Post #19 » by **rarefind** » Tue Nov 14, 2017 7:03 pm

Atkins: "When he gets posted, we'll be prepared."

*Otani posted*

Atkins *takes a nap*

I_Like_Dirt · Post #20 » by **I_Like_Dirt** » Tue Nov 14, 2017 7:18 pm

rarefind wrote:Atkins: "When he gets posted, we'll be prepared."

"...to watch him in a Yankees uniform for the next couple dacades."