The MLB winter meetings kick off Sunday in Nashville; a city hoping to add an MLB franchise. In a poll of players, Nashville was the city they most wanted to get an expansion team. Not that a bunch of young men would consider a city’s great nightlife in that decision at all.
Expansion is now closer to reality with the A’s move to Las Vegas and the Rays finalizing their new site. Or there could be another relocation as Jerry Reinsdorf is considering moving the White Sox out of Guaranteed Rate field when their lease expires in six years.
What can we expect at this year’s MLB meetings?
The Angels have plenty of needs to fill and plenty of directions they could go. We’ve been documenting that here with our annual off season pieces. I published three plans the team could take: Let the Kids Play, Turning Japanese, and Slash and Burn. Ultimately, if I really had the reigns, I’d unleash the Master Plan.
So far this year’s “If I Was Perry” pieces have been solid and we’d love some more entrants. So put on your GM hat and get to typing.
Prior to adding players, the Angels added a pitching coach. Former Angel Barry Enright is both a coach and younger than me. On top of my doctor now being younger than me. My ego is getting bruised continually.
For those of you with The Athletic, I highly encourage you to read Sam Blum’s interview.
All eyes are currently focused on a pair of Japanese studs. The big players and big dollars are lining up to sign Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
At this point it is a guessing game on where either land. MLB pegged a top 11 for Yamamoto and the Angels aren’t on it. The industry feeling is the Mets will use all Cohen’s insider trading money to land him.
While Yamamoto is the darling of the pitching ball he’s definitely not the only NPB hurler to keep an eye on. Shota Imanage has also been posted and has some great highlight. Definitely watch this video.
As stated before the overseas free agents fascinate me this year while the domestic ones don’t. On top of liking Lee Jung-hoo from Korea. A high contact lefty hitter who can play multiple outfield positions would be nice.
There could also be a robust trade market this off season. I really hope there is. Trades are just so much more fun to discuss than free agent signings.
The White Sox look to be moving Dylan Cease but will probably hold off until the handful of good pitchers sign.
One key to the off season is the Milwaukee Brewers. They are on the brink of extending super prospect Jackson Chourio which will give them a notable surplus of outfielders. Do they move one for a win now piece? Or do they trade their top pitcher Corbin Burnes and look to retool? Or do something in between.
They will definitely be a fun team to watch this off season.
Some really important news that isn’t getting enough coverage: Bally’s bankruptcy mess is looming over the games and the meetings. The entire economic model of baseball needs to adapt to modern times.
That’s your long form reading there.
Is the running lane to first base going extinct? It is on the docket with the rules committee and we’ll know about the time Santa Claus drops off our goodies. The rules changes last year did a lot of good but I really hope they don’t go overboard.
Enjoy your weekend and link what I missed. Huge day of college football on Saturday then the Meetings being on Sunday. Look for Tony Reagins to arrive Monday afternoon.
Looks like the wacko waiver wire Angel deadline moves got them under the luxury threshold, higher compensation pick once Ohtani signs elsewhere.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/12/angels-2023-payroll-stayed-under-luxury-tax-threshold.html
And no repeater tax. Equally as important
Genius!
That 3rd round compensation pick will be a simply incredible return for holding on to Ohtani-god after the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
The pick will be “Mr. Irrelevant” once in the Angels meat locker (aka. farm system).
You guys realize that it’s probably best if PTP goes to the winter meetings…. and then the rest of the winter…. without doing anything anything very exciting right?
Here’s to anyone demanding someone do SOMETHING that mervs dun eeduhl getting blue balls this winter. And Viva La Rendon!
Copy that. Lets the top 25 hook on elsewhere.
All these tweets about who is still in on Ohtani, and the Angels are a constant presence. Don’t rule it out just yet.
Angels are just being used to run up the price.
Good. I want the 2027 roster of the team he signs with crippled by his contract.
Probably, but there’s no telling for sure. What if Arte just blows the doors off him with an absolutely stupid offer no one will match.
You just never know until it’s announced.
Maybe this is just an incredible move to disrupt the market (and drive up the price on Nola and others, including his Japanese countrymen), all the while he was never leaving a team he is familiar with and goes to any lengths to keep him performing at optimal ways (in his own way).
What would be interesting is if the Halos have the highest offer and Shohei decides to go elsewhere.
only Arte knows how much he is truly worth and it may be astronomical. Arte has money too.
He could easily make the biggest offer.
but if Shohei shuns it, it’d look terrible 😣
Does anyone know how teams monetize foreign markets? Is it just MLB getting money or can teams cut foreign TV deals?
My understanding is a Japanese station is paying Arte and only Arte to broadcast all Angel games
It could be a huge number and change the whole equation. Of course, the progressive luxury tax ramping is the problem. I think Ohtani is such a revenue producer that the actual cost is far less than it seems.
This is all I could find. There is an international advertising and public relations joint company called Dentsu, which has won an exclusive contract with MLB since 1996. Not confirmed but it is rumored that Dentsu has recently been paying MLB $62 million a year for this right. Dentsu, in turn, sells the broadcasting rights to Japanese TV companies, mostly to NHK, which is Japanese equivalent of BBC. I do not know if Angels get a piece of action from this.
Japanese economics newspaper, Nikkei, published that Japanese companies have been paying estimated one million dollars per game for the rights to put their Japanese names you see behind the home plate during TV broadcasts. Since there are 81 home games, that is cool $81 million dollars to Arte’s pocket (Of course, he has to share that with other teams since 48% of revenue has to be shared with other teams, split evenly.) And I have not even talked about numerous advertising billboards by Japanese companies and all the team goods that Japanese tourists buy.
It is clearly obvious that Arte is profiting hugely from Shohei.
he is staying. He just can’t leave us and Sandy is his bff
too bad none of the IIWPM had the correct answer- I’d like to the roster wi Sho as the DH and the rest of the roster is filled out with the leftovers ($25m?)
No offense intended but you’ve been consistently wrong on your Ohtani predictions. What do you think has changed that would make your predictions correct.
I would enjoy reading your IIWPM.
My mild conspiracy theory on this is that Ohtani is just a respectful person and maybe wants to avoid embarrassing the franchise by publicly eliminating his only MLB team from consideration right off the bat.
MLB internet loves to dunk on the Angels. A tweet from Passan 2 weeks ago during a quiet Hot Stove season saying Ohtani not considering staying would have generated a media cycle of content laughing at the Angels. Us being part of a 5+ team list avoids that.
Odds for Shohei’s next team as of 1 December:
Los Angeles Dodgers -105
Chicago Cubs +370Toronto Blue Jays +500San Francisco Giants +950
New York Yankees +1200
Texas Rangers +1700
Los Angeles Angels +1800
New York Mets +1900
Seattle Mariners +2000
Philadelphia Phillies +2000
Boston Red Sox +2200
San Diego Padres +2500
Field (Any Other Team) +2500
Front runners circling up this weekend in LA. I’m ruling out the the Jays and the Cubs as they already have a Japanese player. Decision could come next week, that would be nice and get the party started. I’d toss some coin on either the Giants or Angels signing him.
What is funny about your list above, is that if you believe all the media reports, it sounds like it is down to just the Jays and Cubs and us
Not 100% certain he would not want to hook up with Kikuchi or Suzuki and yes, Jays and Cubs are reportedly in the discussion. Jays make sense.
Nooooooooooooooooo
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/12/angels-retain-ray-montgomery-as-bench-coach.html
Perry must have went to Arte and asked for permission to let him have one decision this off-season. I was kind of looking forward to Clint Hurdle.
I know right?
Sometimes I wish the Arte and PTP would quit being a couple morons and go out and get someone with some experience building a fantastic org. Like, say, a guy who was the Brewers assistant scouting director and then VP while they built a team that keeps competing in the post season for 1/3 the cost of the Angels roster.
I keep saying the Angels need to stop with the big splashes and sycophants and hire guys like that. Not Ray Montgomery….
oh
As I suspected, none of the names that JHS was throwing out there, were a lock. He went into a Coke head euphoria caused by actually getting a head coaching job again, and started blathering out names that he didn’t have on board, like a used car salesman or a carney.
It doesn’t seem that he even presented them as a lock, or that he had any contact with anyone. If the reporting (or fan hopes) took them that was, it doesn’t seem appropriate to put that on Wash.
He threw those names around when asked about his coaching staff. I took it with a grain of salt, and that it was merely a pie in the sky wish list. I would have been shocked if he got even half of those names on board. I was most surprised that he threw out Torii Hunters name, to take a 2nd fiddle seat, on a team that he was very vocal about, when Arte “low balled” him in a contract offer.
He did get about half of them though, right? Goins and Eric Young Sr. and he apparently pursued Clint Hurdle through last week (when we got Montgomery coming back).
Yeah, I think he is 2 out of 5 or 6. About what I expected.
Hurdle said no twice so they punted going back to Montgomery . Also the bullpen coach was a consolation pick they wanted LaTroy Hawkins but he said no also . But this ex Brewer guy seems legit
https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/56598f1c-a264-4b3e-9086-da923621dbfd
😆
Could there be more to this than meets the eye? His background is as a scout. Long-time scout. Yes, he knows the game and has seen his share, but something else is going on. Somebody likes Montgomery. A lot. Perry? Arte? Trout? Ohtani? Ron knows too many baseball people for this.
From MLBTR:
“The Angels have made significant headway in assembling their 2024 coaching staff under new manager Ron Washington in recent weeks, though USA Today’s Bob Nightengale suggests the club previously offered both former Pirates and Rockies manager Clint Hurdle as well as 21-year MLB veteran LaTroy Hawkins roles on Washington’s staff; Hurdle was offered a job as Washington’s bench coach while Hawkins was offered the bullpen coach role. Nightengale goes on to note both men are expected to retain their current roles as special assistants to the front offices in Colorado and Minnesota, respectively. “
Regarding Yamamoto, Japanese media (via Jeff Passan) reported that there are 8 MLB teams actively pursuing: MFYankees, Mets, Doyers, Red Sux, Cubs, Blue Jays, Giants, and Phillies. Apparently, now the price is $250M, which would give the Orix Buffaloes almost $40M as transaction fee. The only good thing about the fee is that it will NOT be counted toward the luxury tax calculation for whoever the team that will land him.
Arte will sign him to a $1 contract with a $249,999,999 signing bonus payable over the length of the $1 contract to avoid the $40m transaction fee.
I have to say that is a clever idea; however, Yamamoto is pretty loyal to the Orix, who did not have to post him. I don’t think he will go for that.
Oh well, I still don’t know why Perry doesn’t pursue him. He seems like what we most need (ace pitcher), and of all expensive guys, the most likely to be healthy for most of the contract at 25.
But I can see the argument of signing multiple cheaper guys.
The trick is hoping all those cheaper guys don’t underperform simultaneously, like the past few years have seemed.
multiple cheaper players, perhaps two 8-7 guys
Nice
Banned!
Go host of Bavasi, who used that logic to get rid of Nolan Ryan, as I’m sure you know.
So pass on Yamamoto and sign a Yama and Moto?
He’s young, but even if he’d still be prime when we have hopefully rounded out the org it’s still too early to sign a big contract…. I hope.
On the other hand, if we sign him now CtPG Guy will be able to bitch about wasting him, wonder what his mother thinks, make up dumbshit theories based on his being Japanese…. hell, if he gets hurt a few times CtPG Guy can even decide Yamamoto is somehow evil.
Shit. Some folks around here probably need this kid more than their Lipitor pills.
I heard a rumor from the voices in my head that the rest of the Angels players are quietly glad to not have any Japanese stars on the team anymore so they can have sex without waiting for an off day.
Sometimes you got’s to use you noggin.
It’s pretty simple to know where Ohtani will sign. If fact, if you really think about it, you’ve known all long. A lot of articles are out there wasting your time. Wishful thinking here and wishful thinking there. Who will he choose? What does he really want?
It doesn’t matter what he wants!
What’s that, you say?
Yes! Ohtani has no say so whatsoever. It’s not who will pay the most. It’s not who will win now. It’s not even who his mom likes. He will sign where ever Ippei signs 1st. So Perry get off your ass and take Ippei to Del Taco!
I get the feeling that Ohtani will sign an 8 year deal for $400 million. If he does, would I get a prize for a correct guess?
I have no faith in Perry being able to put together a contending team. Just as we scoffed at Nevin’s “you can’t chase wins” comment as his defining moment, so too we have Perry’s trading away top farm assets only to waive the new players within the month. Once Perry is gone that’s how we’ll remember him. Maybe Arte wanted Giolito et al gone. Doesn’t matter, it was Perry who made the moves. Either he’s a subpar GM or he’s a puppet.
Im all for blowing it up but with no real plan, no direction, my big hope is that our shocker this year is the sale of the club
Yes, Minasian gets too little blame for all his blunders. Being Arturo’s yes man isn’t a good enough excuse.
Because of the TJ, I’m almost starting to wonder if there is actually a market for Ohtani for the money he wants. It’s possible that Soto will have the same problem next year. Would you give Soto 500M for 10 years. he turned down 440M from the Cats. So many recent big contracts have not panned out and it makes it hard to get the players you need to fit around the stars. Now you have to ask if there are any teams left that he wants to play for. He may have to do a short contract until he proves he can pitch again.
Remember that Shohei’s 2nd UCL surgery was that of internal brace variety, which is exactly what Brock Purdy of SF 49ers got and recovered in 6 months. https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/37709325/brock-purdy-surgery-49ers-quarterback-ucl-elbow-repair
Remember when Shohei was hit in his right elbow by trailing runner at first base in August. I forgot who the runner was, but Shohei was covering first base when the trailing runner hit his right arm. I suspect that is when he injured the UCL. CT scan showed intact surgical site, and the tear was elsewhere, which enabled the internal brace procedure. It is almost like Shohei had a football injury, so I imagine he would be ready to start throwing as soon as March next year. I have not heard Shohei say he would not pitch next season. I still think that it is quite possible that he might pitch in the second half or possibly play 1st base or outfield. We will find out if I am totally off base, or Shohei will have a big surprise during spring training.
So What you are saying Mr. Natural is that once again we are just…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG1NrQYXjLU
The rumors/reporting that has been linked and around on the internet suggesting that other teams (Dodgers and those back East) will need to offer 10 plus years, but the Angels wouldn’t make me think that his comfort level with the team is a big factor moving forward.
The Angels have credibility with Ohtani because of the first three injury-plagued years and still working around his type of playing time, approach to pitching, etc. It sounds like the only thing that would be able to give him that sense of security elsewhere is a long guaranteed contract – the kind I agree other teams will balk at.
This makes me think Ohtani coming back on a two-year contract, perhaps one back-loaded (so we could flip him if he recovers well but the team is still tank-worthy, and he can then re-sign for that big/long contract when healthy) which could be a win-win scenario.
Could very well happen. It’s also possible the Angels convince him they are going to do what it takes to win moving forward and he signs a long term deal for less than he might have gotten later. Still probably 10 years 500M though. The other consideration is a 2 year deal brings them to within a year of the end of Rendons contract. Either way, if you can control the cost somewhat for 3 years while waiting for Rendon to be gone you can make it affordable. If Artie brings in an investor they may be able to bring back Ohtani and combine that with parts of the IIWPM plans that have been offered.
I’m with the rebuilders but I just don’t see Artie doing that and, at his age, there is a sense of urgency if you want to win. I would prefer that go all in for a rebuild or all in to win and not just pretend to be competitive like the last 10 years. Fully commit to a direction.
I’m a hybrid. In one sense, we need to move on and rebuild. But I also believe any team owned by Arturo will never be successful. So why not have the entertainment value of Shohei while running out the clock on Arturo who at least theoretically can’t live forever.
Guys, as I posted elsewhere, it likely will be a huge, long deal that gives Ohtani the right to opt out after 2 years or so. That way Shohei gets to have the best of both worlds. Is this best for the Angels? I’m unsure it is. But it’s easily the most likely structure of the contract.
What the hell would be the point of our current team having Ohtani for 2 more years?
Fan support, Arte wanting it, and some supposed hope.
I believe a 1 or 2-yr contract would be disastrous. Angels are not in a space to win and be stuck in the same position 2 years later. Angels need to walk away, let the break-up occur, end the love and let’s move on. Don’t want a $50M DH.
If overpaying Shohei and beating all competition to get him is such a bad idea, why would the Dodgers do it? They typically like to get certain contract structures and not totally overpay for a player. Arte is the reverse.
It would be incredibly stupid to sign Ohtani. Just like it was stupid not to trade him two Julys ago.
On the other hand, it would be a huge FK U to the rest of baseball. So I’d enjoy that.
Still, a stupid move.
I don’t know – the current MVP who is also a bounce-back candidate. That doesn’t seem a bad strategy to me.
If we do well with a healthy Trout (and mostly healthy Rendon, if one is dreaming) and the young core, we would be looking for a bat the fraction of his (and there is potential of his arm being a factor later in the season).
If we don’t, we have someone serious to trade to retool next year.
I am still not convinced we need to tear down, as I believe much of our problem this year was injuries. There are always some injuries, but we have replaced players who stopped performing with young players more likely to make a mark.
Opening Day 2022 we were fielding starters like Stassi/Suzuki, Walsh, Tyler Wade/Matt Duffy, Fletcher and Rendon and our bench was Rojas and Mayfield. I would say that O’Hoppe/Stassi/Thaiss, Schanuel, Drury, Neto, and Rendon, with Rengifo/Adell on the bench is better – and we haven’t gone shopping yet. (OF: 2022 – Trout, Marsh, Adell; 2024 – Trout, Moniak, Ward).
There will be an owner that will give Ohtani stupid money for a stupid duration. It likely will also come to pass that in Ohtani’s age 35 seasons and beyond the declining performance will be brutal. Ohtani will get paid.
Ohtani’s new contract will compensate him for both his performance in prior years and future years. He was paid $30M this past season and was still a bargain given his results on the field translated to $70M to $80M.
He’s too expensive for Arte’s budgeting practices.
Yes there will be owners who will offer him very long term contract (as many as 10 plus years), but as most people agree that Shohei (with Nez Balelo of Creative Arts Agency advising) will have short term opt out AND no trade clause; there could be a contract where he can opt out every year). Because he cares about his fellow MLB players, he will NOT refuse long term contract.
However, his main interest is not with money. (He has already made so much money; he does not spend much as he was once asked by Japanese media. He can probably buy the island of Hokkaido by now.) His main goal is for him to continue to enjoy baseball according to the Q&A session he had with Seiko Watch. It will be key how the Doyers/Cubs will convince him that his privacy will be sacredly protected. Both of them will have to copy what the Angels did, which is for him to give Q&A only when he pitches (about once a week). The Rangers fans have also deplored how the team Rangers treated Darvish, so they have to approach Shohei that the same thing will not happen though Texas media will be much easier to handle than those of LA and Chicago.
My current odds for where Shohei will land: Doyers 50% Angels 35%, Giants 5%, Cubs 4%, Rangers 3%, Nippon Ham Fighters 3%
Addendum: I forgot the Blue Jays are still pursuing Shohe and Rangers are outi. Let me add Blue Jays odds at 3% instead of Rangers.
It was written today that the Dodgers are out of the Shohei race. Right. 😂 The Dodgers can afford whatever and whoever they want. It’s just that it is hard to comprehend any team doing 10×50+ for a player who is a DH and a pitcher coming off TJS. I love Shohei, but not on the Angels for that type of dough, we’ll never be winners again in my lifetime (I got one foot out of the end zone already. Even if the contract is back loaded it still makes very little sense for the Angels. If we got that much to spent work on building other needs, like say something like scouting for instance.
They aren’t.
Some guy on one meh site accidentally put the Dodgers on the same list that everyone else put out instead of the Red Sox. It’s the Mets, Rangers and Red Sox that are said to be out. Not the Dodgers.
Just doing my due diligence.
There are three significant NPB pitchers who have been posted for 2024 season, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Naoyuki Uwasawa (Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters), and Shōta Imanaga (Yokohama BayStars)
-Yamamoto (my grade A-), I have previously mentioned him numerous times, one of the two best NPB pitchers currently (Shohei confirmed it before WBC, the other being Roki Sasaki, 22 yo, who will be posted in 3 years). I still believe Yamamoto will go to the highest bidder; thus, it will be between MFYankees or Mets. I would not be surprised he gets $250M or more.
-Uwasawa (my grade C/C-), 29 yo righty who was dubbed as second coming of Darvish, and but he has been inconsistent throughout his career. Apparently, the Orioles are interested in acquiring him according to Nikkan Sports.
-Imanaga (my grade B+/B), 30 yo lefty, who started the championship game against Team USA for two innings in WBC. His stamina has always been a concern. He may actually succeed if he turns to relief pitching, possibly 1 or 2 inning set up guy. And he is a lefty.
I don’t know if the Angels would consider Imanaga for lefty RP, but he might become a useful piece. I would avoid Uwasawa; Yamamoto is way too expensive.
Come on Perry. At least give us some minor league with spring training invite signings.
The lack of Angels involvement in the FA market can be explained due to Perry’s late-night reading prepping for the MLB Winter Meetings.
Let’s hope Perry and his ZERO Assistant GM’s show up to Nashville on time. Does Southwest fly nonstop from John Wayne to Nashville?
Arturo won’t pay for the non-stop, unless Minasian flys on standby.
Not sure but I suspect Cheap ass Arte will pick him up at the Nashville airport just like he did Wash.
https://theathletic.com/5096301/2023/11/30/mlb-managers-interview-process/
At least the Old man hasn’t lost his license yet.
Does anyone here have any thoughts on how good play is in the KBO? I understand Japanese baseball, its quality and its problems, but how does Korean baseball compare with it and MLB?
KBO is generally considered AA or slightly better, I think.
For a guy like Lee, my concern would be how he handles MLB caliber velocity. From what I’ve seen KBO pitchers are generally more about control and throw in the low 90s. Lee obviously has a great eye but hasn’t proven he can catch up to 98 mph.
Aren’t the stadiums more like band boxes?
A couple years old, but still provides points of comparison
https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/58750/meanwhile-in-baseball-an-introduction-to-the-kbos-teams/
I follow NPB well, but KBO not so much. It was reported that KBO will institute computer aided strike and ball calls for 2024 season. I like that KBO is quite responsive to what their fans want. All KBO games are well attended, just as NPB games, so they seem to do good business.
As far as quality is concerned, I think there are two reasons why Korean baseball is declining. One is considerably low birth rate (0.9 birth per couple), and the other is soccer is probably more popular than baseball amongst Korean youths. It is now considered that Korea is at least 10 years behind Japan; U-18 Japan teams have not lost to Korea for as many years. It is interesting to see good Korean baseball players seek to play in US rather than in Japan. (That’s not the case for Taiwanese players, who would choose to play in NPB.)
I love Shohei, his pitching-hitting-the fun he projected are all awesome. The future is not brightened by having 3 players pulling down 125 million and then trying to fill in the holes as we’ve seen. I don’t care about the money that Shohei returns right now. Japanese player’s a moving in fast now and there are more stars to be bringing in the money as Shohei ages.
Hard not to think what could have been realized in trade return for Shohei, but the time to move on is present.
What if he becomes less than a Superhero Pitcher in a couple of years, is 50 million per make sense for a DH?
Cherish the memories but be realistic. In 4 seasons, how many games together did the Big Three play in together? How many of those did we win? Only once in 2016 thru 2023 have the Angels had a winning record going into September (’21).
I over following a team with no future to winning, time to rebuild and start winning in a few years.
Steve Cohen has the deepest pockets of all MLB owners and has proven he’s not afraid of doing “stupid things” with his cash. So I’m guessing Ohtani’s camp said いいえ to NY and Boston.
As for Texas, if the reporting is accurate – my guess is they balked at the long-term asking price.
https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1730620953049346402?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
Pass, it’s been good while it lasted Shohei. We lost with you and we will lose without you.
I’d expect some teams are better at being tight lipped and that list might have a couple more teams??
I cannot imagine Ohtani in Toronto. That has to be a small chance. Chicago is a stretch also — although likely a higher chance than Toronto. So it’s likely between Dodgers and Angels with either Dodgers winning or Angels doing an extreme overpay and Ohtani getting a deal that allows him to opt out in a year or two. Thoughts?
It’s LA or bust
Gotta admit while I’m all aflutter waiting for (Major) Halo signings, I am also glad we haven’t signed any groan-worthy either. I still am on hopium for Ohtani’s “Return” and I struggle with the desire of wanting to rebuild to Halos back up within, but be competitive at the same time.
If it takes a minimum of $50M per season / 10 years for the Angels to keep Ohtani, would you make that commitment?
Yes 100000%
Without jettisoning Rendon or Trout, that’s a minimum of $121M (luxury tax salary calculation) to three players through the 2026 season.
Better hope Arte sells to someone who is willing to spend into the luxury tax given the lack of depth currently within the farm system.
I would probably as well. I would be comfortable with 50M for 7 years through his age 35 season. I would just need to justify the last 3 years. I would not go over 50M per year. He’s worth more to the organization than just his baseball performance so it’s like giving him a 40M dollar contract plus 10M for the marketing benefits which I don’t have any insight into. Any year that he can pitch and hit, he’s worth 50M easy and he was the best offensive player in the league last year. There’s always risk after the first 5 years considering his age. If you choose to sign him you need to recognize that you’re stuck with Rendon’s contract for the next 3 years and need to be willing to commit to going over the cap if required until redone goes off. There is a cost controlled limitation with the current roster of 3-5 years. Then the current guys will cost money. Artie needs to bring his investor aboard to get through the next 3 years.
With Rendon’s 38 million and Trout’s 37 million and Shohei at 50 million and all 3 on the wrong side of 30 and all with injury issues, why would you not look at history to inform yourself that the Angels are not winners with that 3 of a kind hand? How has it worked out so far?
It’s time for a new direction with better chances of being a winner imho.
Alllllllllll projected amounts are pure speculation at this point my friend.
No, too much money unless I’m sure he can pitch again. Let the Dodger have him. They’ve got to run out of money someday, might as well be to Ohtani.
Hells ya. It ain’t my money
Signing Ohtani to $500MM would be groan-worthy.