Shohei Otani

[wildcard]

7 minutes ago, phillyOs119 said:

If you take that attitude, then you’d only sign established MLB players, I hope whatever team you are running is ok with going well over the luxury tax each year because that’s what it would take to field a winning team.  

Whether you like it or not, Ohtani is the most significantly cost controlled asset in recent history. Whatever team gets him will be getting him for at the very least 70-80 million less than he would get as a free agent. 

I have to believe that is not going to happen.     If I am Ohtani I am asking all bidders for a 2 year out clause.

[Luke-OH]

31 minutes ago, wildcard said:

I have to believe that is not going to happen.     If I am Ohtani I am asking all bidders for a 2 year out clause.

Teams that do that would be circumventing the rules and risking a Braves style punishment.

[Tryptamine]

33 minutes ago, wildcard said:

I have to believe that is not going to happen.     If I am Ohtani I am asking all bidders for a 2 year out clause.

Teams must sign him to the standard MLB contract which means 6 years of control before FA. In his case he's likely a super 2, so 2 years of league minimum and 4 years of arbitration.

[backwardsk]

What prevents the winning team from extending him soon after he signs?  If that goes against "the spirit of the rules", when is it okay to start extension talks?

 

[Tryptamine]

1 minute ago, backwardsk said:

What prevents the winning team from extending him soon after he signs?  If that goes against "the spirit of the rules", when is it okay to start extension talks?

 

This has been mentioned as something that would be against the rules, but I don't believe a specific time line was given where extensions were OK.

[wildcard]

I look for Ohtani to insist on the two year out or he goes back to Japan.   That will put pressure on the commissioner to change the rule.  Its best for MLB if Ohtani is the majors this year.  Interest is high.

[mdbdotcom]

10 minutes ago, Tryptamine said:

Teams must sign him to the standard MLB contract which means 6 years of control before FA. In his case he's likely a super 2, so 2 years of league minimum and 4 years of arbitration.

He'll actually be signing a minor league contract, which will give his team even more control. But his product endorsements in Japan are expected to top $20 million a year. He won't starve.

[wildcard]

Just now, mdbdotcom said:

He'll actually be signing a minor league contract, which will give his team even more control. But his product endorsements in Japan are expected to top $20 million a year. He won't starve.

Oh, I had not heard that.

[Luke-OH]

1 minute ago, wildcard said:

Oh, I had not heard that.

It’s the same type of contract signed by draftees or 16 year old Dominican IFAs. I believe that has been explained multiple times in this thread.

The extension idea is interesting but you can bet that MLB willing be watching like a hawk to make sure that any extension has historical comparisons. If they give him more money sooner than anyone has received you better believe MLB will be investigating.  I believe the strictness of the Braves  punishment was at least partially to discourage handshake deals to circumvent the rules in the Ohtani negotiations.

[Frobby]

23 minutes ago, Tryptamine said:

Teams must sign him to the standard MLB contract which means 6 years of control before FA. In his case he's likely a super 2, so 2 years of league minimum and 4 years of arbitration.

Why is he a likely Super 2?    Assuming he’s in the majors on Opening Day, it’s 3 years of league minimum and 3 of arbitration.  No matter how you slice it, he wouldn’t be eligible for arbitration until 2021.   

[Tryptamine]

Just now, Frobby said:

Why is he a likely Super 2?    Assuming he’s in the majors on Opening Day, it’s 3 years of league minimum and 3 of arbitration.

You are correct. I was thinking of the typical prospect who usually serves a partial year because his 6 years of MLB service begin. In Otani's case I doubt that it is a factor.

[SteveA]

50 minutes ago, Tryptamine said:

This has been mentioned as something that would be against the rules, but I don't believe a specific time line was given where extensions were OK.

How could you make a team not do it without a rule?   If Tampa did it for Longoria a week or two after he debuted in the majors, how can you tell another team not to?

[Tryptamine]

6 minutes ago, SteveA said:

How could you make a team not do it without a rule?   If Tampa did it for Longoria a week or two after he debuted in the majors, how can you tell another team not to?

because you could totally circumvent the international signing process. If you're going to let him be immediately extendable why not just let him be a true free agent?

[Luke-OH]

6 minutes ago, SteveA said:

How could you make a team not do it without a rule?   If Tampa did it for Longoria a week or two after he debuted in the majors, how can you tell another team not to?

That’s what I just was talking about, whatever team signs him can extend him but they will need to follow precedent, so they won’t be able to blow the Longoria extension out of the water money wise and in that case Ohtani will probably not want to sign an extension. This is a guy who has made millions of dollars already and is going to get 10 million or more a year in endorsements.

[esmd]

3 hours ago, El Gordo said:

Impossible to overpay him. There is the posting fee though.

Yup, that's more what I was I referring to, but I wasn't clear.  $20M plus his salary for an unknown.  Too much of a risk for me.