The MLB Thread

[atomic]

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/baseball/npb/news/20140111-OHT1T00217.htm

My Japanese isn't very good, but it says the Yankees, Dodgers and Angels are the finalists to sign Tanaka.  I don't see how the Angels are in that conversation, really, but I guess it's a small glimmer of hope.

I bet he ends up with Dodgers.

[vansmack]

His wife wants to live on the west coast, so if he doesn't want to bat, and his wife wears the pants (unlikely in the Asian household), he could be an Angel.

But in the real world, I agree with Atomic on this one - I say he becomes a Dodger.  It's a better pitchers park, closer to home, and they'll put as much cash in front of him as the Yankees.  If that happens, I bet Kershaw becomes a Ranger.

[hutch]

I got to say I got my own suspicions about pro-roid clubhouses and front offices.... but this article seems like a real hit piece

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/tony-la-russa-comments-ignore-own-role-ped-203231973--mlb.html

[shemptiness]

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/mlb/richard-justice-yankees-need-to-find-a-way-to-land-tanaka?ymd=20140113&content_id=66596350&vkey=news_mlb

[stevewizzle]

dodgers re-sign kershaw
 7 years $215 mill

[vansmack]

dodgers re-sign kershaw
 7 years $215 mill

That explains my phone blowing up at lunch.  Less than I expected...

I wonder if this means they're out of the Tanaka race?

[gaaaaaaaaah]

dodgers re-sign kershaw
 7 years $215 mill

this seemed far shorter than i expected, then i realized kershaw can opt out after 5 years, putting him as a free agent at 30, still very much in line for another potential record breaking deal

so if he keeps performing and pitcher salaries keep rising, he stands to become a very rich man in five years

[hutch]

dodgers re-sign kershaw
 7 years $215 mill

this seemed far shorter than i expected, then i realized kershaw can opt out after 5 years, putting him as a free agent at 30, still very much in line for another potential record breaking deal

so if he keeps performing and pitcher salaries keep rising, he stands to become a very rich man in five years

This contract makes him very rich man...

[gaaaaaaaaah]

it does, oviously

my point is that, if he keeps doing what hes doing, its very likely that he gets to sign another contract even bigger than this one in five years, so instead of one massive record breaking deal in his careeer, he could get two. for a pitcher thats unheard of

[hutch]

it does, oviously

my point is that, if he keeps doing what hes doing, its very likely that he gets to sign another contract even bigger than this one in five years, so instead of one massive record breaking deal in his careeer, he could get two. for a pitcher thats unheard of

and thats a good point...Its rare for sure......


teach your little ones how to pitch..

[atomic]

it does, oviously

my point is that, if he keeps doing what hes doing, its very likely that he gets to sign another contract even bigger than this one in five years, so instead of one massive record breaking deal in his careeer, he could get two. for a pitcher thats unheard of

Or he blows his arm out and the team has wasted a ton of money.

[gaaaaaaaaah]

it does, oviously

my point is that, if he keeps doing what hes doing, its very likely that he gets to sign another contract even bigger than this one in five years, so instead of one massive record breaking deal in his careeer, he could get two. for a pitcher thats unheard of

Or he blows his arm out and the team has wasted a ton of money.

actually that risk is more on kershaw than the dodgers. if it happens, he doesnt get to cash in a second time, but the dodgers wont be paying him deep into his 30's like most megadeals you see these days. this isnt signing a 32 year old for 10 years. pitchers are inherently risky but signing a 25 year old for 7 years is on the low end of the sprectrum

im not saying hes remotely in kershaws league yet, but i cant help but wonder what this will mean for strasburg in a few years.

[atomic]

it does, oviously

my point is that, if he keeps doing what hes doing, its very likely that he gets to sign another contract even bigger than this one in five years, so instead of one massive record breaking deal in his careeer, he could get two. for a pitcher thats unheard of

Or he blows his arm out and the team has wasted a ton of money.

actually that risk is more on kershaw than the dodgers. if it happens, he doesnt get to cash in a second time, but the dodgers wont be paying him deep into his 30's like most megadeals you see these days. this isnt signing a 32 year old for 10 years. pitchers are inherently risky but signing a 25 year old for 7 years is on the low end of the sprectrum

im not saying hes remotely in kershaws league yet, but i cant help but wonder what this will mean for strasburg in a few years.

How is this a risk for Kershaw?  If he doesn't blow his money on airplanes or get ripped of by somebody he is going to have more than enough  money than his or his family could ever spend.  And he could just as easily blow 500 million as he could 200 million. 

[Julian, Bespoke SEXPERT]

I mean, who hasn't blown a few spare hundreds of millions of dollars, am I right, guys?

[vansmack]

im not saying hes remotely in kershaws league yet, but i cant help but wonder what this will mean for strasburg in a few years.

This hasn't been talked about enough.  People keep focusing on future free agent deals, like Strasburg (who will test the free agent market and not sign an extension, and I'm willing to bet a lot on that), but Stras has two more years of arbitration left.

This deal means that the arbitration number is going to make a huge jump (it's based on players performance compared to the performances of other players and their compensation).  Small market teams are not going to be able to afford $15m Arb-1 and Arb-2 players.  Makes the David Price situation in Tampa look soft, by comparison.