royoung

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jan 22, 2014 -> 09:20 AM) I am just assuming the Sox were as well, but there's no difference between 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 30th in a free agent negotiation. I wonder if the Dodgers and Cubs also went to a 7th year, because I am guessing the Sox would not.

Joel Sherman ‏@Joelsherman1 7m #Yankees #dodgers #Cubs were finalist for Tanaka. #Yankees went from 6 yr offer to 7 in past few days, told without that could not do deal

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 22, 2014 -> 09:08 AM) Please do. Add the posting fee. 6 years 120 million plus the 20 million posting fee= 6 years 140 million=$23.3 million a year 7 years 155 million pluse the 20 million posting fee=7 years 175 million=$25 million a year You can spread out 35 million over as many years as you like, but it matters to a team like the Sox and obviously doesn't to the Yankees.

I remember reading from a reputable source that one team went for a shorter contract with a higher pay per year, which could of explained the "nearly" caveat on the 5 offers over 100 million. I wonder if Hahn tried to be creative on the years and payout rather than the length of the contract.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 22, 2014 -> 08:58 AM) If you were OK with 6 and 120, 7 and 155 isn't too much different. I want to know what the Cubs offer was? What is Cubbie blogger saying now? Bruce, I thought the Cubs were the "lead team"? An extra year and 35 million isn't too much different? I'll quote you on that if we signed Garza or Jimenez to a year one 35 million dollar contract.

Chris Cotillo ‏@ChrisCotillo 2m With Tanaka signed, #Yankees have committed 29 years and $471 million to nine free agents this offseason. Unbelievable. Evil Empire indeed.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 22, 2014 -> 08:54 AM) Too bad. Now I hope he sucks. The problem with the 4 year opt out is then it basically costs you $5 million extra per year with the posting fee. Hopefully in a few years Tanaka will look back and say he should have signed with the White Sox, but the Yankees were desperate. They probably would have paid him whatever it took. I like the White Sox agressiveness, and Hahn is either a great actor or really thought he had a shot. This bodes well for the future IMO. I bet the Yankees just upped their bid when Close asked them to and the Sox weren't willing to go the extra year/cash. And I don't blame Hahn, that is ridiculous amount of money for him. 6 for 120 would of been a lot but reasonable, this was too much.

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Jan 22, 2014 -> 08:51 AM) Whose to say they weren't at one time? Money talks. This deal is probably at least $35 million more than the Sox were willing to go. Exactly that is an irrelevant sentiment. If we offered 6 and 120 and they offered 7 and 155, where would you go? I would bet you anything we just got outbid. Period.

QUOTE (Brian @ Jan 22, 2014 -> 08:45 AM) Eh, he's gonna suck anyway. #bitter Even if he maxes out on his "potential," he's viewed as a step below Darvish and he just got the 5th highest contract for a pitcher EVER. NO THANKS. I would of been ecstatic for 6 for 120.

7 years? 155 million? Opt out after 4th year? No thanks to all that. Good effort by the Sox, went all in for the top two international free agents. Great off-season, now let's play some damn baseball.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Jan 21, 2014 -> 03:02 PM) Darvish Iwakuma Kuroda Hideo Nomo Tomo Ohka had a couple good years but sucked more often than not. Then a glut of relievers Tazawa Uehara Hasegawa Kaz Sasaki Otsuka Saito The obvious failures are Dice-K, Igawa, Irabu. Forgot Kuroda, good call.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 21, 2014 -> 02:53 PM) Specify "decent track record of pitchers having successful transitions". I see a group who, with only one exception I am aware of, are all pretty awful by year 2 or 3. Show me a list of Japanese pro pitchers coming over and being successful for more than about 1.5 seasons. Maybe I am missing some, beyond the one I am aware of. I say decent, because as the case with most high profile FA's, it's about 50/50 on worth it. Nomo, Darvish, Uehara, Iwakuma were or are profiling to be tremendous successes. Irabu, the later years of Dice-K, Igawa and others are disappointments. It's a mixed bag, but there is a decent track record to be found.

QUOTE (TaylorStSox @ Jan 21, 2014 -> 02:36 PM) I can't believe anybody would guarantee 100M+ to a guy that's never pitched in the majors. That's an incredible risk. Edit 120M+ Motherf***ers stupid. The Japanese league is considered the 2nd strongest baseball league in the world and has a decent track record of pitchers having successful transitions. We committed 68 million to a Cuban who has never seen a MLB pitch and that deal is widely applauded, I don't see the big difference in risk here.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jan 21, 2014 -> 11:11 AM) OMFG WE'VE SEEN THIS INFORMATION A THOUSAND TIMES ALREADY I can't help but read your posts in Gob's voice and it makes them so, so much better

QUOTE (Frank_Thomas35 @ Jan 21, 2014 -> 09:35 AM) @RobertMurrayMLB tanaka had asked his followers to send a photo for his profile pic. A bunch came in, and he tweeted "can't decide" Trolling haha

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jan 20, 2014 -> 01:51 PM) Tanaka is likely going to take the offer that makes the most sense for him financially. I don't believe you are going to see a straight 6 year deal get him signed. I think it's going to involve some creativity, ie the out clauses. He just turned 25. I think you are going to see him sign a 6 year deal worth around $120 with an out clause at year 4. He'd enter free agency again at 29, which allows him the opportunity to get another 4-6 year deal on the open market. If he flops or is less than expected, he gets to earn out the contract and move back to Japan. Has Theo ever done anything that creative with his contracts? Hahn and Cashman have. I think Theo is going to throw money out there and say "come to us" and they are going to rebuke it. They won't want him to be a free agent again at 31, because he'll be exiting his prime years and likely only looking at a 2-4 year deal. I think this makes a lot of sense. He is young enough where he can get two mega contracts in the United States. Having an opt out clause in case of a team declining rather than competing, (or he pitches so well he could get Kershaw or Verlander money) would be wise of him. There is money incentive for him to control the later years of the contract so that he is not wasting his prime years.

It's all speculation at this point. This isn't an American free agent who could potentially be surrounded by guys who could leak information. He is in Japan and has a tight inner circle that has no motivation or incentive to give "favorites" or "front runners." I am confident that Hahn submitted a competitive offer and I hope that the meeting was compelling. That's pretty much all you can ask for now.

QUOTE (IowaSoxFan @ Jan 17, 2014 -> 01:08 PM) The difference is if they played for the Sox, Buddy Bell would have had Baez and Soler start the season in AAA and Bryant would have been in AAA by the playoffs. They are good prospects, but none of them are on the level of a Sano or Buxton. I think Theo starts moving some of those guys for pitching this year before they move up much further and show their true colors. Almora and Bryant are legit, the rest have a lot of projection in them. Isn't that what frustrates us all about the Sox handling of their younger, raw prospects? I agree that Theo will be forced to move some of his hitting prospects for pitching if they miss on Tanaka and others.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Jan 17, 2014 -> 01:05 PM) I'll take our rotation and MLB talent over their farm EVERY day. Sale, Quintana, Johnson, Garcia, Semien, Abreu, Davidson, Eaton, Dayan, Jones, Webb >>> Rizzo, Castro, Baez, Soler, Bryant, Alcantara, Almora, and Olt. Remember when Josh Vitters was a can't miss? Or when Castro was the best thing ever? Or Soto? Rizzo is basically Viciedo on the North Side. My guess is two of Baez/Soler/Bryant/Almora either never make the majors or never amount to anything. I agree the Sox have a brighter future and Hahn has done a terrific job assembling/locking down talent. But to say that the Cubs future is a joke is not an accurate representation of the view of the industry. To say it's uncertain if they can contend for the long term is true, but the same could be said for the Sox.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 17, 2014 -> 12:59 PM) There is a greater chance that they all bust, versus they all succeed. Trying to be completely unbiased, I think I would rather have Baez, Almora, Bryant and Soler than Eaton, Garcia, Davidson, Hawkins. They are prospects, so sure anything can happen, but it's easy to make a case for both is my point.

QUOTE (The Ultimate Champion @ Jan 17, 2014 -> 12:29 PM) They're not in position to win. They're not in position to even contend. They're in position to offer a s***load of money, that's all. Maybe they can offer so much money that the deal is bad the second it's signed. If so and they sign him to that, good for them: that means they're doing everything wrong. The DBacks can offer $$$ too and are in a much better spot to win. I'd argue the Sox are too, even with their position prospects these guys are still prospects. Sox have lots of pitching already in the Majors. The Yankees and Dodgers are definitely much further along than the Cubs are too. And even if the Cubs want to offer a massive deal, if Tanaka wants an opt-out to test FA before 30 - and if he demands it especially - he is going to get it. And if that is what he wants then why in the hell would he want to spend 3 years with the Cubs for example when he could spend that time with a winner? We don't know what Tanaka is exactly looking for but all the Cubs can offer is money and a rough idea of what they believe their future is going to look like. With so many suitors, especially if flexibility is an issue, the Cubs offer doesn't look so good. I think the Yankees get him because they are probably given the ability to match or beat whatever the best deals are. The Yankees will go beyond the tax if they have to in order to get this guy. They'll give him years, money, and an opt-out if they have to. JMO. Dodgers next in line. I hate the Cubs as much as the next guy, but they aren't in as bad a shape as everyone makes them out to be. In 2015 they could easily field a monster lineup with Rizzo, Castro, Baez, Soler, Bryant, Alcantara, Almora, and Olt all in the mix. I know a lot of those guys aren't major league proven, but their top four prospects (Baez, Soler, Bryant, Almora) all have all-star potential. Their farm beats the hell out of ours so I am not convinced selling our future is as big an advantage as everyone makes it out to be. Just stating a probable unpopular opinion.

I loved the Dunn signing

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Jan 17, 2014 -> 11:59 AM) I really liked the first Swisher trade. Twas exciting at the time...

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 17, 2014 -> 09:33 AM) I don't think so. I think they are going to their limits to land him. They have been in on guys like Soler even Fukudome they offered more money than the Cubs. 25 year old, potential ace, all it costs you is money is exactly what rebuilding teams with not a lot of future contract committments should be looking for. If, and it is a huge if this guy is as good as hoped, and say the Sox draft Hoffman #3. Rondon is compared to David Price, and I read 2 scouting reports that say Hoffman can get to that level of effectiveness. These are all ifs that couldn't be any bigger, but if they all remained healthy, you are looking at Sale, Tanaka, Hoffman, Quintana, Johnson or whomever else for a long stretch. That is 1990s-2000s Atlanta Braves. If any of the young offensive players reaches their potential, it would be a team that would be expected to make the playoffs year in and year out for quite a while. I am not disagreeing that they don't want him badly. I am speculating on why the Sox is the only team to confirm a meeting and why KW released that statement last night. It's not like them at all to make things public, but from a PR standpoint, it's a win-win if they make their pursuit known. Trust me, I am salivating over the possiblity of a Sale-Tanaka-Q-Johnson-2014 draft pick future rotation just as much as anybody.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 17, 2014 -> 08:43 AM) I'm with the can't believe KW is spilling the beans crowd. Even if the Sox offer isn't up to snuff, it has to be very significant. A lot more than they have ever offered anyone. It makes me suspicious that this is a race that the front office intents to "come up just short" on. I don't doubt that we will make an offer, but this reeks of being happy to have a dog in the fight. Hahn has talked a lot about being more "active" in the international market and reshaping the franchise. Tanaka is a perfect example of a guy we at least have to create some press releases about. Also, anyone notice how quickly this has killed all the Sale trade speculation? We went from discussing the pros and cons of effectively tanking for the foreseeable future to building a contender in 2014. Either way, it's a brilliant move by the front office and it will most likely will cost them nothing.