Shohei Otani signs with Angels

[John_Havok]

Who the f*** in North America is going to endorse this guy? He's a robot that lives in the team dorms on the $1000 a month that his parents give him from his salary. He's eats, sleeps baseball...nothing else.

 

But he's a Japanese robot. I hear those ones are pretty advanced

[Laika]

Roomba

[FrozenRopes]

Yankees, Angels and Seattle

[Ray]

If Otani really doesn't care about money and eats, sleeps, and trains baseball, the High Performance Department might actually be a very good selling point to him. One way we edge out any other team.

[Krylian]

If Otani really doesn't care about money and eats, sleeps, and trains baseball, the High Performance Department might actually be a very good selling point to him. One way we edge out any other team.

 

Are we the only team that has this sort of program established?

[TheHurl]

Are we the only team that has this sort of program established?

 

Mental conditioning...about half have full teams and don't outsource. Injury prevention work and conditioning that way, I really don't know how many. All probably say they do but some will be more advanced than others.

[jays4life19]

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/21556666/shohei-ohtani-sends-mlb-teams-memo-asking-how-plan-use-him

 

This is a pretty good idea by his agent.

[Abomination]

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/21556666/shohei-ohtani-sends-mlb-teams-memo-asking-how-plan-use-him

 

This is a pretty good idea by his agent.

 

Interesting what he's asking teams to provide him in terms of information.

[tazsub3]

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/21556666/shohei-ohtani-sends-mlb-teams-memo-asking-how-plan-use-him

 

This is a pretty good idea by his agent.

 

Based on the requests, the blue jays chances certainly increased. remains to be seen if that increase is enough to sign him or not

[Angrioter]

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/21556666/shohei-ohtani-sends-mlb-teams-memo-asking-how-plan-use-him

 

This is a pretty good idea by his agent.

 

Ohtani idea. Maybe He want to know if he will play everyday and in a good environment

[TorontonianJD]

Could totally see Ohtani ending up with the Dodgers. Huge Japanese community there and on the west coast, which means closer to Japan.

[jays_fever]

Interesting what he's asking teams to provide him in terms of information.

 

I don't see why any team wouldnt just give him whatever he wants, hookers included.

 

If he struggles hitting into July I'm sure you can sit down and talk to him.

[saskjayfan]

have Muni write the memo..it's the Jays only hope.

[Dick_Pole]

Make Trudeau useful and send him on a plane to Japan to do some top notch ass-kissing.

[Boxcar]

Could totally see Ohtani ending up with the Dodgers. Huge Japanese community there and on the west coast, which means closer to Japan.

 

I'd be very surprised if he ended up in the NL. I don't know why it even matters if there's a Japanese community. He doesn't know any of them.

[baubau]

I'd be very surprised if he ended up in the NL. I don't know why it even matters if there's a Japanese community. He doesn't know any of them.

 

This. I may also be wrong here but I think having a "community" was more prevalent for the older generation. When my family migrated being close to our community was important but given how easily people can now connect and stay in touch with their own community back home, it doesn't matter as much.

[glory]

Ohtani seems like he only cares about baseball related stuff. The location will play a factor, but based on what his agent is asking for, he wants an org that will sincerely try to develop him as a two way player and is up to date on all facets of player development.

[THANOS]

Ohtani seems like he only cares about baseball related stuff. The location will play a factor, but based on what his agent is asking for, he wants an org that will sincerely try to develop him as a two way player and is up to date on all facets of player development.

 

This would, in theory, increase our odds. I imagine most teams will sell their own player development facilities and processes as the best though, so I guess we will see.

[tazsub3]

This. I may also be wrong here but I think having a "community" was more prevalent for the older generation. When my family migrated being close to our community was important but given how easily people can now connect and stay in touch with their own community back home, it doesn't matter as much.

 

YOu are correct sir!!! and closer to home is no longer valid either, as you fly toronto-tokyo or La-Tokyo it is almost the same flying hours.... one flight takes aroud 12 hours the other 13hrs lol.... man people write so much without being informed...

[TheHurl]

Supposedly he was very upset about his injuries this year (even the surgery he had in October is supposedly one they would have put off in the MLB but he insisted on it), as he hates missing time. Now you read that he wants medical training reports. It would be so amazing for these letters to go public.

 

Interesting note. Former Otani teammate Michel Abreu works as a minor league position coach with the Jays.

[Krylian]

There are some great Japanese restaurants in Toronto. Surely that's the nugget that tips the scale in our favour.

 

The truth is that he's going to receive significantly more money that Toronto can offer...and at the time of the presser, the talk will all be about the community, and the secondary benefits that lead to him signing in city X. They'll play it off as, it's not about the money...but he's still going to get paid more than what this team is able to offer.

[burlingtonbandit]

My guess is he becomes a Yankee. They have the nicest facilities (including Spring Training and closest to Airport), have great young players, tons of $ to surround him with talent, great chance of winning, AL team with a DH opening and would be a massive star in that market.

 

I want to think the Jays have a chance but whatever the Jays can offer the Yankees can offer more.

[Abomination]

There are some great Japanese restaurants in Toronto. Surely that's the nugget that tips the scale in our favour.

 

The truth is that he's going to receive significantly more money that Toronto can offer...and at the time of the presser, the talk will all be about the community, and the secondary benefits that lead to him signing in city X. They'll play it off as, it's not about the money...but he's still going to get paid more than what this team is able to offer.

 

This is the one time when it really may NOT be about the money. I mean, he was having his parents put his salary away for him in Japan and give him a monthly allowance ($1000 I think?). If he stayed in Japan two more years, he wouldn't have been subject to bonus pools and would have gotten a massive contract coming over. Everything right now points to him not giving a damn about the money.

 

That doesn't mean we're at the top of the list though.

[glory]

I’m also predicting the Yankees but f*** it I think the Jays have a chance here. Ohtani seems like a strange dude who just loves baseball. If he was in it for the money he would have gotten paid in Japan for another year or two and then come over. Instead he chose to come over in order to make peanuts and is telling teams to sell him on their org. Weird dudes do weird things.

 

I’m not expecting it to happen so I won’t be disappointed if it doesn’t but I disagree with people saying there is no chance. This is a unique and weird enough situation to give them at least a small chance.

[TheHurl]

Cubs are my pick

[mtljaysfan]

Yankees or Mariners

[Daniel Labude]

He will be a Blue Jay!!!!!!

[FrozenRopes]

I would go to the Yankees.

[glory]

A NL team would have to play him in the OF to get his bat in the lineup. Not sure that's a good idea for the team or for him. The AL makes way more sense.

 

The Yankees would be the worst case scenario for us. I'd rather he go to Houston who is already a super power. I could see Texas as an option for him as well given how much they can spend plus history with Darvish.

 

I'd be shocked if he goes to the NL. If he was just a pitcher I would have said the Dodgers, but he wants to bat and pitch, so I don't see the NL as a fit.

[Krylian]

This is the one time when it really may NOT be about the money. I mean, he was having his parents put his salary away for him in Japan and give him a monthly allowance ($1000 I think?). If he stayed in Japan two more years, he wouldn't have been subject to bonus pools and would have gotten a massive contract coming over. Everything right now points to him not giving a damn about the money.

 

That doesn't mean we're at the top of the list though.

 

I really think a lot of people are grasping at straws and hoping that it's not about money, but I think you're fooling yourselves.

 

Am I saying that he's going to sign with the team that offers him the absolute most? No. I'm not saying that. But the team that he does sign with will be one of the top few offers (and I'm sure the top few will be somewhat comparable in terms of numbers). The "extra" benefits will be what sways the decision...but the point is that I think you have to be in that Top 3-4 teams to be even considered. The Jays just don't have the cap room.

 

But we're all going round and round in circles. We'll find out soon enough where he goes and what he signs for.