caulfield12

Last first rounder from MS didn't do so bad...well, not until 2023.

Only $29 million for just 2024 (including buyout) or $49 million for 2024/25. No go for the Marlins.

On the eve of a scheduled introductory press conference with the Dodgers to present history's first $700 million athlete, Ohtani set yet another mark -- according to Fanatics, his No. 17 Dodgers jersey set a record for sales within 48 hours of a jersey release. https://t.co/lnwhe4z3qL https://www.mlb.com/news/shohei-ohtani-s-dodgers-jersey-sets-fanatics-sales-record

Fine. Then imagine the next four seasons in a row...the Dodgers flame out in the first/second round like 2022/23. Even if Ohtani was the MVP all of those seasons...it seems like six consecutive playoff disasters would cause many in the fanbase to want a new GM...because there's an organizational failure somewhere else.

Well, then the Dodgers would never be able to fire their GM...at least for another decade.

If Friedman leaves or is fired...? That could work the other way around if Ohtani's pitching totally fell apart and he was "just" an 825-850 hitter for a couple of seasons...due to lingering injuries for example. Interesting clause, at the very least. Of course, the real financial consequences are far down the line.

They (MLB.tv) have game highlights, each ball put into play and the full games (TV and audio feeds, usually both, but always at least one with very rare exceptions). Then youtube also has game highlights as well, just to name a few options.

But far from an ideal fit for the White Sox, as they would undoubtedly end up playing him in the outfield or at DH. They currently seem bound and determined to force De Jong and Lopez as the double play combination.

https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-teams-that-need-to-add-starting-pitching Cease connected to Orioles and Reds...Giolito to Tigers. No Braves, Cards or Rays (assuming Glasnow goes now)....

Obviously I didn't write it. Was toggling back and forth at work and had a couple of classes in a row and it ended up in the wrong thread. But it actually kinda fits in a way because we're always comparing the two fan bases as well as the inferiority complexes that exist in Flushing/Queens, Anaheim, Oakland, Baltimore...vis a vis the so called dominant franchises in those markets. So I guess if Eloy and/or Cease end up back with the Cubs and everything comes full circle...then we can bemoan the Northsiders again. But certainly not in the way that Angels fans are rueing every aspect of their existence and certainly in retrospect the fact that Ohtani somehow got away with zero return for replenishing the organization...not to mention desperation trade deadline losses as well.

https://africa.espn.com/football/insider/story/_/id/39092376/ranking-reasons-man-united-bad-premier-league-2023 Reason #1 for Man U downfall sounds familiar....

Once asked about his team, Muser replied with this pearl, “I’d like to see them go out and pound tequila rather than cookies and milk, because nobody’s going to get us out of this but us.”

For now they have Margot, Outman, Chris Taylor, Heyward and Betts splitting time in RF/2B. Rays really can’t trade Arozarena until they know results of Franco investigation.

Greg is going to flip… “According to data by Logitix, tickets for the Dodgers home opener have jumped 152%. Before the Ohtani signing, the average ticket for opening night was priced at $390.95 per ticket. Now? The average price for the highly anticipated game scheduled for March 28, 2024, has soared to $983.71. However, the data also reveals ticket prices won’t be so bad for the wallet for other Dodger games. In the 2023 season, Dodger fans were paying an average of $171.67 per ticket. Next year, tickets are expected to go for an average of $295, which is a 71% increase.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/dodgers-ticket-prices-soar-shohei-182748256.html

Lance Lynn and Yoan both make it into Paul Sullivan’s Shohei article According to reports, agent Nez Balelo said it was Ohtani himself who came up with the idea of annually deferring $68 million per year of his 10-year, $700 million deal and paying out the bulk of the money between 2034-43 to ensure the Dodgers had enough money left to spend on other free agents who can help them win championships. What a swell guy. Ohtani hasn’t spoken to the media, so for now we can only speculate on how he became so fluent in contract construction, and why he’s so willing to put his team ahead of his own financial interests. Everyone was aghast when the news leaked about the deferrals. Many on social media thought it was unfair to the other billionaires who can’t keep up with the Dodgers’ owners. But as it turned out, any player can defer as much money as he wants, and any team can offer to do so. It’s seldom done because the value of money decreases over time, so why would anyone willingly take less now knowing the rest of the contract won’t be worth as much 10 years later? Ohtani’s deal will work out to about $46 million per year instead of $70 million, and though $460 million is nothing to sneeze at, it doesn’t sound nearly as cool as $700 million. But Ohtani makes so much off the field — perhaps $50 million according to some estimates — that he doesn’t need another $70 million a year to pay his bills. He reportedly lives in a relatively modest home in Newport Beach, Calif., and doesn’t splurge on sports cars like Yoán Moncada, so he’ll be able to get by fine until the deferrals kick in 10 years from now. The Dodgers are now well situated to make the postseason annually, just as they were before the signing. But as we saw this year when the Dodgers, Atlanta Braves and Baltimore Orioles all won 100 or more games and failed to make it to their League Championship Series, the postseason is a crapshoot that renders the regular season meaningless. The Dodgers started Lance Lynn in a playoff loss last October and watched him give up four home runs in an inning. Having money to spend doesn’t make you a genius. The overreaction to Ohtani’s signing was to be expected, with Los Angeles Angels fans crying, Toronto Blue Jays fans angry and everyone else just shaking their heads over the massive figure. The Athletic sent a reporter to Angels Stadium when the news was revealed Saturday on Ohtani’s Instagram account. Someone placed flowers on an Ohtani marker as though he was dead, not moving to Dodger Stadium. https://www.yahoo.com/sports/paul-sullivan-shohei-ohtani-unique-023200291.html

Schist. Scheisse.

Going cost to save $35 million in 2024 salary but most importantly to LAD adding TOR starter Glasnow...to cover the one year Ohtani won't be pitching.

He's going to be a lot closer to Ichiro than a 20-25 homer guy...especially playing 81 games in SF.

It does have everyone in the world (temporarily at least) talking baseball, Dodgers, Ohtani...even all the other professional leagues.

Hoerner at least would be better than the likes of India or Frazier, but not happening.

Rays clearing tons of payroll. Around $35 million by my count, as Margot was set to make $10 million coming off a 0.4 fWAR season (2022 was surprisingly good). They might be in on Cease now, too. https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rays/2023/12/12/wander-franco-dominican-republic-mlb-investigation-spring-training/

Outman to Sox lol. Simply to have a more interesting board, whoever is still left hanging around past the trade deadline.

You're going to be saying the same thing about the next 15 pitchers off the board. Which ultimately works in favor of JR and Getz I guess. Of course most fanbases don't attend due to rational, risk-mitigating front offices. Not exactly inspirational.

When Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani joined the Angels in 2018, my cousins and I made a bet. How long until he leaves Orange County to join the Los Angeles Dodgers? We knew it wasn’t a matter of if, but when. Not just because the Blue Crew is one of baseball’s marquee franchises, while the Halos are as respected as a soul patch. Or because Angels owner Arte Moreno makes NFT investors seem as smart with their money as, well, the Dodgers, who just signed Ohtani to the richest contract ever in professional sports, at $700 million for 10 years. Nah, we knew Ohtani was fated to leave because he's a young, talented person — and folks like him usually get the hell out of O.C. the moment they can. We saw the best minds of my generation flee for Austin, Texas, Chicago, New York, the Inland Empire, but especially L.A. — the place our elders taught us to fear as full of crime and liberals. Our friends and relatives left to find opportunities that were impossible in staid, conservative, expensive Orange County. They rarely looked back. When their new neighbors asked where they were from, most would demur and say “Southern California” or “near Los Angeles." City, civic and county leaders didn't care about this exodus, since O.C. was never meant to be cool. We were the spot where people moved after they made it. Orange County was aspirational, and if you couldn't afford to hack it here, good riddance and don't forget to take along other underachievers like you. This thinking went on, unchecked, for decades. But it’s finally dawning on the lords of O.C. that losing our young to Los Angeles and elsewhere portends doom. https://www.yahoo.com/news/column-shohei-ohtani-just-latest-224818706.html

Can I please at least get a trademark symbol next to Caulfield in the thread title? Thanks in advance for your time and consideration, oh mighty yet benevolent moderating team.