Frank_Thomas

QUOTE (The Ultimate Champion @ Jan 19, 2014 -> 11:08 AM) Why would it be easier to be a Japanese pop star in LA vs. a Japanese pop star in Chicago? Her husband can purchase an entire studio for her & pay her personal agent and production staff to make trips whenever they need to. The world has gotten a lot smaller as it is, and when you have $20M per year or more to play with there's not much you can't do. Let's be honest, people don't move to Chicago to pursue singing careers or whatever movies or what she wants to do. People move to LA, that's the lifestyle out there, plus its a lot easier to make connections out there. I don't know the reasoning just that's where she wants to be. Plus if she is some major pop star being in LA allows her to travel back to Japan easier shorter flights etc. I'm not saying she's the end all be all by any means, just made an observation off a nugget I hadn't heard before.

QUOTE (Whitey @ Jan 19, 2014 -> 10:54 AM) I can't speak for everyone, but if the Sox somehow land Tanaka I will be buying at least a 14 game plan for me and my son this year. I am on the fence about it anyways, but that would put it over the top... I said the same thing. I will be buying some sort of ticket package. This FO deserves our asses in the seats, regardless of the Tanaka outcome. They have done a good job this winter. However of Tanaka is signed, that day I will purchase a package out of peer pride and excitement for my team.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jan 19, 2014 -> 10:47 AM) I think it is highly unlikely he signs in New York. I think he either takes the money from the Cubs or signs with the Dodgers. I wouldn't write off the Angels. Despite all the talk, Moreno has indicated they are in and the Angels historically have swooped in late on guys. It is kind of their M.O. That said, they really can't afford another guy when they have to figure a way to sign Trout to like a 10 - 15 year deal that will be the largest in major league baseball history (all while being saddled with Albert and the heroin addict (or whatever Hamilton was addicated to). I agree I think he ends up in LA. Up until last night I had downplayed the whole "his wife wants to be on the West Coast" thing. But after reading she's some major pop star in Japan and wants to still be able to pursue her career kind of dampened my hopes a bit. I think it's LALA land Tanaka. However I do think of its not them the Sox have a chance. Just the quietness, KW comments publicly, the fact we were the only "confirmed" meeting. I still have this gut feeling but well see. Based on the numbers from the tweets this is where it stands: AZ- 6 years- $115 million NYY- 6 Years- $115 million LA- 6- years- $120-125 million CHC- 6 Years- $135-140 Million CWS- ? ? ? ? ( was speculation of 4 Years- $125 million with options, never confirmed or reported on)

BTW does any one know if Tanaka and Kershaw have the same agent? I read somewhere they did and that Tanaka was a part of the discussions during the Kershaw deal as far as back loading his deal, with the hopes of landing Tabaka.

I wonder if the fact that the Sox are offering him the largest contract is White Sox history helps him see how much the FO values him. I mean that has to mean something. I think the fact the Sox are so quiet on this says something also, what I don't know but it just seems weird to me we're not hearing any $ figures out of them.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jan 19, 2014 -> 10:12 AM) I mean...what's confusing me is are teams still actively bidding? Seems like Tanaka has received bids and is home not thinking about it while stories are out of teams new approaches to sign him. As far as I have read, yesterday at 5 pm ET was the deadline for interested teams to submit offers. I'm sure other teams can offer whatever but I'm guessing the would have. Itll be one of these 5 teams

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Jan 19, 2014 -> 10:06 AM) Ty Youngfelt ‏@TyYoungfelt 4h Hearing Dodgers unlikely to match Cubs offer, instead using geographical, team strength issues as selling points to bridge gap... Ty Youngfelt ‏@TyYoungfelt 1h As of a week ago, Yankees have lowest bid, D'Backs, Dodgers within +/- 8M of each other...hearing Yanks adjusted/matched-Cubs +20-30 over Ty Youngfelt ‏@TyYoungfelt 1h To clarify- Yankees matched D'Backs offer of 115, not Cubs offer... Ty Youngfelt ‏@TyYoungfelt 40m @MudderFudder77 Have not heard nothing on Sox, at all, have the $ tho... This guy writes for the Pioneer Press and has had info in the past. This is also a good sign, whether any of these tweets have merit who knows. But it's good news seeing the offers aren't crazy high with the exception of the Cubs. AZ at 6/$115 and the NYY equal to that or at most 6/$122. That's definitely doable. It seems like most teams with the exception of the Cuba are coming in right at each other.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Jan 19, 2014 -> 10:06 AM) Ty Youngfelt ‏@TyYoungfelt 4h Hearing Dodgers unlikely to match Cubs offer, instead using geographical, team strength issues as selling points to bridge gap... Ty Youngfelt ‏@TyYoungfelt 1h As of a week ago, Yankees have lowest bid, D'Backs, Dodgers within +/- 8M of each other...hearing Yanks adjusted/matched-Cubs +20-30 over Ty Youngfelt ‏@TyYoungfelt 1h To clarify- Yankees matched D'Backs offer of 115, not Cubs offer... Ty Youngfelt ‏@TyYoungfelt 40m @MudderFudder77 Have not heard nothing on Sox, at all, have the $ tho... This guy writes for the Pioneer Press and has had info in the past. I think we got a real shot. I like we aren't hearin leaks from our side. I just hope we sold him on living in Chicago and being a part of our future more than the cubs did. I think his pop star wife sends him to LA or NYy but let's hope this dude is different.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Jan 19, 2014 -> 04:32 AM) 4/100 with two options possibly? Or voiding his arbitration rights? Ya thinking about it, 4/$100, $25 a year with a few options at the end and the chance to prove your the real deal before 30 and cash in another pay day. May interest him, or he may want 6 in order to sign. But really 4/$100 + options for 2018 and 2019 could be the Hahn magic that gets it done. His competitive drive is known and this may be the contract he wants to prove himself.

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Jan 19, 2014 -> 04:18 AM) Some random poster on MLBTR's discussion says a "little birdie told him" that the Sox offered 4 yrs/$100M, and thus are the 1 team that "nearly" offered OVER $100M like the report said. It makes sense too, as you'd figure the Yankees/Dodgers/Cubs would be bidding a lot, the DBacks are apparently at $120M, so that leaves the Sox and Slick Rick trying to get creative with a deal. 4 yrs/$100M with maybe 2 player options, or vesting options, or something. I thought before it was highly unlikely the Sox would ever win this bidding war, but if they did, it would have to be with a creative deal. I stick by that. No way we outbid, but maybe we outsmart. I disagree, I think the sox would go at least 6/$120. And from what I read it was the Diamond backs who offered a little over $100 at 6/$106. All overs were said to be at least 6 years.

http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_...e_head_15568262

Found this interesting, first time I heard the Yankees and Dodgers offers we ecquivalent. According to Nikkan, a daily sports newspaper in Japan, the Yankees and Dodgers have made "equivalent offers". Because translating from Japanese to English is a science that extends beyond my capabilities, I'm not sure if that means the two teams have bid exactly the same amount for Tanaka or if they bid an amount on par with Nikkan's report of the Diamondbacks' six-year/$120 million offer. The Angels were previously rumored to be in competition for Tanaka's services, but owner Arte Moreno says that it is unlikely they'd be able to fit him into the team's budget. http://www.pinstripealley.com/yankees-rumo...te-sox#comments Also just looking through rumors and stuff. Nothing concrete, scuttlebutt if you will. But supposedly AZ offered 6/$106. It has also been rumored that the other five teams offered the same contract. Finally Nikkin sports confirmed whichever team he signs for he will wear "18"

Not sure how this bodes for us either.... from David Kaplan: thekapman: AL scout just told me that he believes Cubs offer is very strong but still believes that state of team will make it tough to land Tanaka. thekapman: Finally, NL scout I just talked to believes Tanaka is worth risk, + Cubs willing to spend huge. However, not a contender is huge impediment. https://mobile.twitter.com/thekapman There's also a couple tweets about the Cubs supposed pitch. It could have very well been them who "flubbed" the meeting with him and banked on $$$ being enough. They basically said "you can lead this rotation and we have plenty of talent on the way" and they "could provide a great quality of life while he persuade the greatest title in sports" I dont know seems pretty flat, Hopefuly the sox were a little more persuasive and sold to this guys needs. Did their homework, saw a Japenese community was important, maybe had a list of cities or towns were there is a large population. Well see. Sorry just got home from work and processing all the new updates

Feel free to check out the discussion: http://www.northsidebaseball.com/forum/vie...&start=1400 Caution it is a Cubs board, take that as it is.

Not sure if this was posted, tweet by Whittenmeyer cautioning Cub optimissim. https://mobile.twitter.com/GDubCub/status/424744849888141312 I know I read it in a page or two earlier, but if the Cubs don't land this guy, it's going to be ugly. These guys are crazy with Tanaka, more so than here. And hate to say it, it makes me thankful to be a Soc fan and a part of this board reading some of these comments on their board shows how little about baseball. And if we somehow shock the world.. Again... And sign Mr. Tanaka, that fan base will hit the snit. Part of me thinks all this leaking on their end shows they know they aren't getting this guy and the are in full on PR mode. Hence large offers being leaked, you don't hear really any other teams doing this. Either they are supremely confident, or know they have to make it seem they did everything to sign him. Who knows the may, we may, I just don't know. I don't know if Chicago is what he is looking for..

Wow stuff got weird... er tonight. Lol. We need something to happen either way for the sanity of the topic. Anyways here's a post from a Japense media site. Nothing new just posting. === The latest on Masahiro Tanaka, from Sunday, January 18, 2014. From MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez, via Twitter: "Source tells me clubs have not heard back from Tanaka & nobody knows where they stand. Most had about 60 mins to make a case. No visits." [Tweet 1/18/2014] Bullpen Catcher Kenji Nagasaka caught Tanaka bullpen session on Saturday. On Tanaka's two-seamer: "It probably does not make much sense to talk about this until he starts throwing at full strength, but it felt like there was some sinking movement on his two-seamer. The same thing happened last year with the WBC baseball. With the Japanese baseball, there is horizontal movement." ... When reporters tried to approach Tanaka after his workouts on Saturday, he made made a letter "X" with his arms to indicated that he was not going to answer questions. ... The 2013 draft class had a chance to briefly talk to Tanaka on Saturday. [Nikkan Sports 1/18/2014] http://yakyubaka.com/2014/01/19/1192014-ky...ka+(Yakyu+Baka) Although...... Maybe the "X" was a signal he's coming to the soX

Just wanted to post the latest out of Japan. Nothing new but here it is anyways. http://yakyubaka.com/2014/01/18/1182014-ko...ka+(Yakyu+Baka) Masahiro Tanaka updates from Saturday, January 18, 2014. Tanaka closed out his workouts in the Kanto region on Friday and left for Sendai on a shinkansen in the evening. [sponichi 1/18/2014] Tanaka worked out at Kobo Stadium today for the first time this year. He tossed a bullpen session using an MLB baseball and told reporters it felt normal. Tanaka did not make any comments about where he might be playing this year. [sponichi 1/18/2014] ... Tanaka tossed thirty pitches to a standing catcher. He mixed in his curve, slider, two-seamer, and splitter. [Daily Sports 1/18/2014] Angels Owner Art Moreno told reporters Tanaka was a pitcher they wanted, but there was also a budget they had to consider. [sponichi 1/18/2014] Cubs Manager Rick Renteria was part of the group that met with Tanaka when he was in Los Angeles. The group also included President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein, General Manager Jed Hoyer. Renteria said he planned to purchase the Rosetta Stone to learn some Japanese. [sponichi 1/18/2014] According to the New York Post, Tanaka met with seven teams during his stay in Los Angeles. [New York Post 1/16/2014] A number of teams, which could include the Yankees, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, White Sox, and Cubs, submitted formal contract offers to Tanaka up through to the 16th US time (17th Japan time). Almost all teams probably submitted nine-figure deals at six years. [Nikkan Sports 1/18/2014] ESPN's Jayson Stark tweet: In non-replay news, amazing how many owners in Ariz. were convinced #Cubs are ready to blow away the field & sign Tanaka to a monster deal. [Tweet 1/17/2014 via Nikkan Sports 1/18/2014]

MASAHIRO TANAKA: This week, the Cubs were the team making the most news in the chase to land the right-hander who went 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA for the Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan last year, because the Cubs were the team that met with Tanaka, which meant that the Cubs were the team that could project optimism, both on the record, and through sources. Don't go ordering that jersey just yet, though. As Gordon Wittenmyer wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times, "breathless national reports via Twitter and blogs Thursday overshot the Cubs’ likelihood of hanging with the big-spending favorites in New York and Los Angeles in the process, especially when the Dodgers reminded the world of their willingness to spend by giving ace Clayton Kershaw a record-setting contract extension this week — after dealing with the same agent representing Tanaka." Tanaka makes a ton of sense for the Cubs, as he does for pretty much every team in baseball — as evidenced by the Dodgers' drive to add Tanaka to a rotation that already includes Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Hyun-Jin Ryu, and Dan Haren, with Josh Beckett and Chad Billingsley recovering from injuries. Maybe the Cubs really impressed Tanaka with talk of how they are working with a foundation of prospects to become contenders very soon. It's probably best, though, not to pretend like Tanaka is going to choose his team before he has completed his due diligence. We'll know next week, when the deadline comes for Tanaka to sign and for the team winning his services to pay the $20 million posting fee to Rakuten. Anything before that is guesswork. http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/story/2014...za-stephen-drew

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 17, 2014 -> 02:39 PM) I read an article that said his "style" was more American than most Japanese pitchers. He pitches off his fastball, which I guess isn't common in Japan. That should help catchers call games, and pitching coaches (hopefully it's Cooper) communicate. I do have a serious question. Supposedly he doesn't speak English. Will MLB allow a translator to go to the mound with a coach or manager to talk to him? To me, this could be a huge issue during a game. Even when a catcher has to go out there. FWIW Rick Renteria already went out and bought Rosetta Stone Japense after meeting him. https://mobile.twitter.com/GDubCub/status/423913674848231424 But yes a translator is able to come out for mound visits, but let's be real all Japenese kids are taught English in school. So I'm sure he speaks enough to get by.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 17, 2014 -> 11:20 AM) Ken Davidoff ‏@KenDavidoff 31m The #Cubs and #WhiteSox are both serious contenders for Masahiro Tanaka. #Yankees #Dodgers http://bit.ly/1i69tAF He posted the same article yesterday. So I guess it's nothing earth shattering or breaking today.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 17, 2014 -> 11:20 AM) Ken Davidoff ‏@KenDavidoff 31m The #Cubs and #WhiteSox are both serious contenders for Masahiro Tanaka. #Yankees #Dodgers http://bit.ly/1i69tAF Love we are hearing more and more Chicago. I would hope its cause he is warming to making this his home. And it will come down to $ over a more imediate chance of winning between the 2 CHI teams

QUOTE (Knuckles @ Jan 17, 2014 -> 11:15 AM) How long will this go on? Another week? It's over next Friday the 24th at 4pm eastern. If he hasn't signed he goes back to Japan till next year and they do it over. His personal assistant said they don't expect it to go to the last minute.

QUOTE (Downtown518 @ Jan 17, 2014 -> 11:08 AM) Jesse Sanchez ‏@JesseSanchezMLB Source tells me clubs have not heard back from Tanaka & nobody knows where they stand. Most had about 60 mins to make a case. No visits. https://twitter.com/JesseSanchezMLB/status/...225081196171265 This pretty much echoes the sentiments of Hahn in his statement to the media after he met them. It also coincides with what his agent said when he said it would be confidential and negotiations kept from team to team. If anything all this scuttlebutt shows the teams that have been putting this out are nervous. Maybe that's why you have seen report after report of a team willing to throw top dollar at him. It could really be its not about the money and teams like NY La and CHC may be throwing that out there to drive up Prices. I don't know what to think anymore, but I agree this is intriguing to say the least. I also would count the Cubs out if something isnt announced this weekend at Cubs fest.

Call me stupid, but I still like the way this seems to be going. I still have a feeling we sign tanaka. I really feel this kid is different and isn't all about the money.

QUOTE (Thad Bosley @ Jan 17, 2014 -> 10:15 AM) At 7/1 odds per Vegas, the Cubs come in as fourth favorites behind the Yanks, Dodgers, and Mariners. They had a contingent meet with Tanaka last week. Wonder if it was them who had this poor showing! I doubt it, Theo has done this before, I doubt he would half ass a meeting for a player they have been wanting for almost 12 months