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John_Havok

By John_Havok
in Toronto Blue Jays Talk

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Stangstag Toronto Blue Jays

Stangstag

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted
It's kind of sad that you can't even make comments about other FA signings or trades in the offseason threads, without one of Max or Brownie trying to pick an argument to one-up you. To be honest, they're the ones who remain insufferable and the reasons why this message board doesn't get any new posters and why some posters have stopped posting on here frequently. Not a good look having condescending posters on here thinking they own the place and superior to everyone else.

 

Pretty sure you were the one who started this beef, by calling anyone with a positive outlook on the team an Atkins ass licker.

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Ehjays First Round Pick

Ehjays

Verified Member
Posted
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https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/11/yoshinobu-yamamoto-rumors-14-teams-pitch-anywhere.html

 

Nearly Half The League Has Reached Out To Yoshinobu Yamamoto

By Steve Adams | November 22, 2023 at 12:15pm CDT

 

As the best pitcher in Japan who’s been made available to MLB teams at just 25 years of age, Orix Buffaloes right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto has always been expected to command an aggressive bidding war. Yamamoto’s 45-day negotiation window with MLB clubs opened yesterday morning, and he’s unsurprisingly drawn widespread early interest.

 

Agent Joel Wolfe of Wasserman, who’s representing Yamamoto, told the Kyodo News last night that he’s already heard from 11 to 14 teams. Yamamoto’s negotiation window officially opened yesterday morning.

 

“This is by far the player with the most interested teams that I have ever seen at the beginning of free agency,” said Wolfe, an executive vice president of one of the sport’s largest agencies. As one would expect, Wolfe indicated that Yamamoto isn’t approaching free agency with any restrictions based on geography. (Even if Yamamoto does have some specific geographic preferences, those would likely be kept close to the vest — if only as a means of retaining leverage in talks.)

 

The list of teams already linked to Yamamoto in free agency nearly outnumbers the list of teams who’ve not yet had public ties to him. The Cardinals, Phillies (even after re-signing Aaron Nola), Diamondbacks, Tigers, Yankees, Mets, Blue Jays, Cubs, Giants, Red Sox and Dodgers have all been reported to have interest in Yamamoto. That’s 11 teams right there, and it’s surely not a comprehensive list. Yamamoto figures to draw interest from contending clubs and non-contenders alike, given the rarity with which a free agent of this caliber reaches the market at such a young age. Even a team eyeing 2025-26 as a more realistic range for competing could outbid the field for Yamamoto and know that he’d be squarely in his prime years when that window for contention is more earnestly open.

 

Yamamoto has been evaluated extensively by MLB scouts, with the consensus being that he’s a legitimate No. 1 or No. 2 caliber arm in a big league rotation. Between that ceiling, his age and his brilliant track record in Japan, he’s expected to command the largest contract ever for an NPB pitcher making the jump to MLB — perhaps a deal in excess of $200MM (plus the requisite posting fee). Yamamoto has won three straight Sawamura Awards in Japan — NPB’s equivalent of MLB’s Cy Young Award — and just posted a career-best 1.21 ERA in 2023. He’s logged a sub-2.00 ERA in four of his past five seasons while punching out better than 27% of his opponents against a tidy 5.7% walk rate.

 

Any team that signs Yamamoto will owe a posting/release fee to the Buffaloes. That fee is equivalent to 20% of the contract’s first $25MM, plus 17.5% of the next $25MM (a combined total of $9.375MM), plus 15% of any money thereafter. Using MLBTR’s predicted nine-year, $225MM deal as a hypothetical example, that contract would come with a $35.625MM fee — a total outlay of $260.25MM for the signing team. Given Yamamoto’s youth and the substantial demand for him, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if any deal wound up containing an opt-out a few years into the pact, thus allowing him to return to free agency in his late 20s after having the potential to establish himself as a genuine top-of-the-rotation arm in the Majors.

Jimcanuck Buffalo Bisons

Jimcanuck

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted

25 yrs old and effectively a free agent

 

Are there any rules preventing a pre-draft Dylan Crews for example from signing with an NPB team, with an agreement to be posted when he is 25 yrs old?

Spanky__99 FCL Blue Jays

Spanky__99

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted
25 yrs old and effectively a free agent

 

Are there any rules preventing a pre-draft Dylan Crews for example from signing with an NPB team, with an agreement to be posted when he is 25 yrs old?

 

Probably not, interesting.

BTS GOAT

BTS

Community Moderator
Posted
Posted
Ms must think Carlos Vargas is the next Andres Munoz

 

Weird move. The Ms don't even really have another 3B.

Laika Cooperstown

Laika

Community Moderator
Posted
Posted
Weird move. The Ms don't even really have another 3B.

 

Luis Urias, baby

 

The small market Mariners.

BTS GOAT

BTS

Community Moderator
Posted
Posted
Matt Chapman come on down!

 

IMO that would be horrible. Suarez for 11M this year and a 15M team option next year >> Chapman for 130M + Carlos Vargas

glory Vancouver Canadians

glory

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted
Is there any team with more than one Japanese player on it? Jays have Kikuchi, Cubs have Suzuki, Mets have Senga, Red Sox have Yoshida, Padres have Darvish, and Ohtani/Maeda are FA’s. Can’t think of anyone else. Kooch better be putting in that work recruiting.
Stangstag Toronto Blue Jays

Stangstag

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted
We better be doing better then Eugenio Suarez if you want me to watch.

 

Suarez would have been a great fit. 3-4 WAR player, good pop, low salary with a couple years of control

Brownie19 New Hampshire Fisher Cats

Brownie19

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted
Suarez would have been a great fit. 3-4 WAR player, good pop, low salary with a couple years of control

 

I'll be interested to see what he produces the next few years. M's obviously don't believe in him. He's been an above average bat in 1 of the past 4 years. A seemingly random improvement defensively buoyed his WAR up last year.

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