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Post by Angels GM (Scott) on Dec 4, 2017 10:22:02 GMT -5
He's sitting down with teams out of respect and understanding he could some day be a free agent again. I think it's either SD or SEA and I can't help but wonder if the Bethancourt two way experiment was a trial run or a signal that they are serious about being innovative and flexible
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Post by z - Gaz on Dec 4, 2017 10:27:09 GMT -5
Yep. He seems very smart and switched on and has probably been doing his own personal due diligence for the best part of a year - if not more. He'll make more Yen from Japanese endorsements than he can ever spend no matter where he goes.
It feels like it just comes down to his preferences he's already decided - and maybe another team or two have put forward great proposals to him that means he wants to talk to them as a sign of respect.
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Post by z - Gaz on Dec 4, 2017 10:29:04 GMT -5
. I think it's either SD or SEA and I can't help but wonder if the Bethancourt two way experiment was a trial run or a signal that they are serious about being innovative and flexible
Also Preller has just extended - which seemed unlikely when he was getting suspended last year. Maybe the knowledge that you've got an innovative, if somewhat controversial, guy like that running the ballclub has had an impact.
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Post by Marlins GM (Anthony) on Dec 4, 2017 10:44:56 GMT -5
I still feel like Seattle is a heavy favorite here. Even though, if rumors are true he'd like to go to a team that's on the cusp of being competitive, rather than win now then SD is definitely the better choice.
But w/ an AL team he can DH 2 or 3 games a week in between starts. Less stress on the body.
In the NL, he could pinch hit if not every game, most games during a pitching change. Maybe play the field 1 or 2 times a week.
Feels like the AL gives him more opportunities to hit (while also not putting a ton of stress on his body forced to play the field). Even though...Seattle is loaded w/ DH eligible guys. Cruz/Healy/Alonso
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Post by z - Gaz on Dec 4, 2017 10:50:17 GMT -5
Dipoto has said Healy will be the everyday 1B and whenever Ohtani is in the lineup Cruz will play the outfield. They are definitely favourites for me right now but I think the Padres have a strong position to pitch from too.
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Post by z - Tim on Dec 4, 2017 10:55:01 GMT -5
AL gives him more opportunities to hit. But he prob has more impact on an NL team since he can hit when he pitches - because replacement value at DH is so high he’ll have to be a stud hitter to move the needle, he likely adds more for that one game a week he hits from the P slot on an NL team. Perhaps thats more of a team concern and not his, he may just want ABs or really believe he is a stud bat as opposed to just a good one. If he wants to win the dodgers are the best fit. all the other west coast teams have big question marks so i think its hard to say, the angels are no worse of a fit than sea, sf, sd. if i had to handicap the west coast teams, id think sea has a slight edge, primarily because of how ichiro was received there. but really any team could do it i think. not sure where cubs and rangers come in, but perhaps it signals location is just one factor. the cubs are a great fit, but i dont get choosing the cubs over the dodgers if you orefer west coast.
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Post by z - Tim on Dec 4, 2017 11:02:46 GMT -5
wonder if ohtani saying no means yanks will try to get the jump on maitan. they have a chance press while the rangers, who also have a big pool, are waiting on ohtani.
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Post by Angels GM (Scott) on Dec 4, 2017 11:17:16 GMT -5
One of the reports is that Ohtani doesn't want to go to an organization that already has a Japanese star or has had a major Japanese star before as he doesn't want to be compared. That would seem to be a notch against Seattle
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Post by z - Tim on Dec 4, 2017 11:40:14 GMT -5
im hoping for angels (sorry padre fans, tho if he did want to go to a team where he didnt have to compete with anyone for star billing its the padres.....) nothing about anaheim or the angels, and im under no illusion the angels are favorites to land ohtani, i just want to mike trout get a chance at the playoffs
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Post by Angels GM (Scott) on Dec 4, 2017 11:57:27 GMT -5
SD checks all the boxes on his supposed preferences. They also have by far the most connection to him and his former team. That's enough for me to at least be hopeful.
West Coast - SD, SEA, LAA, LAD, SF
Small Market - SD, SEA, maybe SF
No Japanese Star - SD, SF, LAA
No Major Star face of franchise - SD, SEA maybe
Lead a team to glory that hasn't seen it - SD, SEA, maybe LAA
Will let him play 2 ways - presumably all
Strong internal culture with Japanese ties - SEA, SD
It's SD or SEA if you believe he will act on his preferences that have been reported.
Padres have been diligently adding Japanese staff to their club over last 2 years. Preller and Logan White tried hard to sign Ohtani a few years ago. Padres had working agreemt with Ham fighters for last 10 years and have shared spring training facility with them. Padres hired former Hams guy as interpreter. Andy Green played for Hams. This isn't all coincidence.
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Post by Brewers GM (Brad) on Dec 4, 2017 12:40:05 GMT -5
In what I've read of him, something of immense importance is his ability to succeed/excel as both a hitter and pitcher. He wants to break the mold. He's young, so winning next season may not be of utmost importance. He's informed, so he may realize that he needs time to adjust/develop as a hitter. He wants a small market. He wants the West Coast.
The Padres are the only team that provide all of the above. The M's will need him to produce at the plate if he is going to continue to take up PA's (especially if you also have to play Nelson Cruz in the OF in order to give him the opportunity). Seattle wants to compete. The Padres are still (at least) a year away and have carried below replacement level bats (Allen Cordoba, for example) for an entire year in order to gain their rights under Rule 5.
My money is on San Diego.
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Post by Marlins GM (Anthony) on Dec 4, 2017 12:57:00 GMT -5
SD checks all the boxes on his supposed preferences. They also have by far the most connection to him and his former team. That's enough for me to at least be hopeful. West Coast - SD, SEA, LAA, LAD, SF Small Market - SD, SEA, maybe SF No Japanese Star - SD, SF, LAA No Major Star face of franchise - SD, SEA maybe Lead a team to glory that hasn't seen it - SD, SEA, maybe LAA Will let him play 2 ways - presumably all Strong internal culture with Japanese ties - SEA, SD It's SD or SEA if you believe he will act on his preferences that have been reported. Padres have been diligently adding Japanese staff to their club over last 2 years. Preller and Logan White tried hard to sign Ohtani a few years ago. Padres had working agreemt with Ham fighters for last 10 years and have shared spring training facility with them. Padres hired former Hams guy as interpreter. Andy Green played for Hams. This isn't all coincidence. Andy Green playing over seas MIGHT be a coincidence. Haha. But ya, I get your point. I'd love to see him on the Padres. The stuff I struggle with, and this plays on G. Stanton as well is nobody really knows. Everyone is tweeting/subtweeting "My Source Says" and everyone is talking all over each other. Until I hear the words out of G. Stanton's mouth, or Ohtani's mouth, that's when I'll believe their "preferences". Both of these transacations/talks have been absolutely fascinating in that neither person has come out and said a word. It's all heresay, especially the Stanton stuff. Ohtani, a little more surface level but still, I sometimes have to laugh at all the speculation because it really is overwhelming. |
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Post by Angels GM (Scott) on Dec 4, 2017 13:22:15 GMT -5
That's why I preface it with if you believe the reported preferences. All we have are clues and sometimes clues are meant to mislead. But AJ Preller is known to act stealthily and Padres are being very quiet and have characterize their chances only as "long shot".
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Post by Phillies GM (Ron) on Dec 5, 2017 0:46:45 GMT -5
That's why I preface it with if you believe the reported preferences. All we have are clues and sometimes clues are meant to mislead. But AJ Preller is known to act stealthily and Padres are being very quiet and have characterize their chances only as "long shot". I read in the Union-Tribune that Preller started off his lastest press conference stating he wont take or answer any questions regarding Ohtani. He has setup the infrastructure for Ohtani to feel at home if Ohtani chooses the Padres. |
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Post by Angels GM (Scott) on Dec 5, 2017 20:53:10 GMT -5
Something else I just thought of. If he wanted to play for the Padres the whole time then he never would have been able to do that had he waited two years for all the money. Padres wouldn't have been able to sign him at FA rates and the PA would have been pissed at Ohtani if he took significantly less than market value.
If he wanted to play for a big market like LA or Chicago he would have just left in 2 years and taken the money. The only way he could have played for a small market team is to leave now.
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Post by Phillies GM (Ron) on Dec 5, 2017 23:32:30 GMT -5
Something else I just thought of. If he wanted to play for the Padres the whole time then he never would have been able to do that had he waited two years for all the money. Padres wouldn't have been able to sign him at FA rates and the PA would have been pissed at Ohtani if he took significantly less than market value. If he wanted to play for a big market like LA or Chicago he would have just left in 2 years and taken the money. The only way he could have played for a small market team is to leave now. Good point, Scott. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2017 0:36:01 GMT -5
I would LOVE Otani to the Padres. Even though I am not a Pads fan. I just am the rare guy who likes Preller and what they are doing over there.
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Post by z - El Guapo - retired on Dec 7, 2017 4:49:32 GMT -5
Ken Rosenthal made an interesting observation:
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.
We add:
And then Ohtani sprinted through the seven individual team interviews, covering all of them interviews in two days.
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Post by Orioles GM (Ben) on Dec 7, 2017 5:34:58 GMT -5
Can see their point, but I guess they would have griped the other way if he had dismissed them from consideration without even letting them make a pitch.
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Post by z - El Guapo - retired on Dec 7, 2017 5:53:27 GMT -5
Pretty sure all teams can handle themselves pretty well/efficiently in out waters. If they thought they had a valid offer, every team would have made it. But to ask all teams to put forth their best offers and then summarily dismiss the east coast seems sort of odd. His reps could have narrowed down the field/restricted the list to seven or ten -- or how ever many Ohtani and his advisors decided ahead of time they wanted to consider.
Even if they knew all along they were not going to consider Oakland, say, they could have said initially "we are only considering teams west of the Mississippi" -- or whatever parameters they wanted to establish. Or just named the ten (arbitrary number) right off the bat.
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