OT: Some Random Japanese Guy

[Jntg4]

I'd even argue that the penalties could be worth it as a prospect like Otani doesn't come around often on the international market

 

[Rice Cube]

I'd even argue that the penalties could be worth it as a prospect like Otani doesn't come around often on the international market

I'm sure they'll weigh that.

 

[Rice Cube]

FanGraphs on the random Japanese guy:

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/japanese-right-hander-shohei-otani-to-sign/

 

[X]

FanGraphs on the random Japanese guy:

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/japanese-right-hander-shohei-otani-to-sign/

I expected the gun to be hot for ihm to be throwing 100 mph...but w/ scouts having him top out at 96ish...whoa. impressive.

 

[Rice Cube]

Bleacher Nation is going to write about this later on. I'd do it too but I'm busy (huh huh, right) and dabynsky has to indoctrinate young minds. But the question is really how good the kid's stuff is, why the Cubs aren't rumored to be involved outright, and even if they were involved, how much do they actually have to spend?

 

[Rice Cube]

BN on the Japanese guy:

http://www.bleachernation.com/2012/10/22/the-chicago-cubs-shohei-otani-problem/

 

[X]

BN on the Japanese guy:

http://www.bleachernation.com/2012/10/22/the-chicago-cubs-shohei-otani-problem/

"Bust their pool" made me :lol: every single time. :fap:

 

[dabynsky]

Cubs Den had a nice piece as well which covers a lot of the same ground. http://www.chicagonow.com/cubs-den/2012/10/otani-may-be-out-of-cubs-reach-but-could-open-the-door-for-others/

 

[Rice Cube]

I think the novelty is that this is the first Japanese guy trying something like this and not so much that he's the Japanese version of Mark Prior or Stephen Strasburg. So I'm okay with losing out on the guy.

 

[dabynsky]

I think the novelty is that this is the first Japanese guy trying something like this and not so much that he's the Japanese version of Mark Prior or Stephen Strasburg. So I'm okay with losing out on the guy.

He isn't a once in lifetime talent, but he is a very talented arm. It seems like he is going to be allowed to sign whenever even though he didn't register on May 1st. At least no one has mentioned this so it must be assumed that MLB is going to grant him an exception.

 

[Rice Cube]

I'm going to assume that the Cubs can use their pool more efficiently and not worry too much about it. It is too bad the new CBA prevents them from burning money like there's no tomorrow though.

 

[Rice Cube]

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/10/mlb-teams-may-have-to-wait-for-otani.html

If an NPB team drafts Otani, he would be prevented from signing with an MLB team for several months. The drafting team would have the rights to the right-hander until the end of March, 2013 under an agreement between MLB and NPB. If he declines to sign with an NPB team, MLB teams will be able to bid on his as a free agent. Teams will be subject to international spending restrictions, but as Jim Callis of Baseball America explained this week, those restrictions won’t necessarily be a major deterrent.

 

[Rice Cube]

Link to a scouting report or two here:

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/10/24/scouting-report-on-japanese-prospect-shohei-otani/

 

[Rice Cube]

Update:

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/10/otani-fujinami-selected-in-npb-draft.html

Shohei Otani, the Japanese pitching prospect who's drawing interest from Major League teams, won't be able to sign with an MLB franchise before April of 2013. As expected, the Nippon Ham Fighters selected the 18-year-old right-hander with the first overall pick in the NPB draft, Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker reports (on Twitter).

The Fighters won’t necessarily be able to sign Otani, who has said he intends to pursue a career in MLB. They have until the end of March to agree to terms with the hard-throwing prospect under an agreement between MLB and NPB. If Otani declines to sign with the Fighters, MLB teams will be able to bid on him as a free agent, though they’ll be subject to international spending restrictions.

The Hanshin Tigers selected Shintaro Fujinami, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America (on Twitter). Some scouts prefer Fujinami to Otani, Badler writes.


Read more at http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/#qdqtGgzQ7xukeCDh.99

 

[Rice Cube]

BN sort of read my mind even though I was too lazy to post :lol:

So, the Nippon Ham Fighters (they fight ham! (no, not really)) drafted Shohei Otani yesterday in the NPB draft, which provides an interesting twist to the question of which teams will be able to try and sign the 18-year-old Japanese prospect. Nippon Ham holds his rights now until the end of March 2013 (the window to sign him), which means that he can’t sign with an MLB team until at least then, if he doesn’t end up signing with Nippon Ham. Is it enough of a delay to get the Cubs back in the mix? Maybe, if Otani can wait a few more months after that to sign when the next international signing period opens up on July 2. In case you missed that whole discussion, here you go. (There’s some debate about how hard and fast the rule is that says MLB teams can’t swoop in and sign Otani right now – some say it’s just a gentlemen’s agreement that teams might be willing to break, others say it’s, like, a rule-rule. We’ll see what happens.)

http://www.bleachernation.com/2012/...t-asd-backsmarlins-trade-lincecum-otani-more/

 

[Rice Cube]

Update from MLBTR:

3:11pm: Otani can sign with an MLB team at any time, an MLB official confirmed to Ben Badler of Baseball America. Signing with an MLB team at this stage would likely irk the Fighters and other Japanese baseball officials, however. If the Fighters sign Otani then attempt to post him, he'd still count against teams' $2.9MM international bonus pools, Badler reports. Fujinami expects to start his professional career in Japan, according to Badler.
Read more at http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/#sc1kmVEjIePsyC42.99

Someone sort through the legalese :fist:

 

[Rice Cube]

Cafardo:

The Cubs appear to be players for 18-year-old pitcher Shohei Otani, but Theo Epstein recently expressed trepidation about plunging back into the Japanese market. Otani was recently taken with the first-overall pick in the NPB draft and the Nippon Ham Fighters have until March to try and sign him. A major league club can still sign him at any time, but it would likely irritate Japanese baseball officials.
Read more at http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/#2lqBtY8PqPxhFmRw.99

 

[dabynsky]

Hard to see the Cubs being able to match what other teams are going to be willing to afford, and the penalties would really crush the Cubs who have a ton of flexibility in the next signing pool. If Otani waits until then though, Cubs suddenly become a lot bigger players.

 

[Rice Cube]

Hard to see the Cubs being able to match what other teams are going to be willing to afford, and the penalties would really crush the Cubs who have a ton of flexibility in the next signing pool. If Otani waits until then though, Cubs suddenly become a lot bigger players.

I agree, and the other factor is whether one of the other teams just won't GAF and sign Otani anyway to piss off the Japanese.

 

[dabynsky]

I agree, and the other factor is whether one of the other teams just won't GAF and sign Otani anyway to piss off the Japanese.

My reading of the CBA was that MLB would have to aprove the international FA, but since no one else is mentioning it I have to assume that isn't an issue. Har to see Osuni going anywhere else than LAD, but nice to hear that the Cubs are at least on the radar. One has to woner if the bigger effect isn't the end of NPB if Osuni makes the jump to the minors of MLB.