Just whom is this Shohei Otani person?
And just whom does he think he is?
For you gentlepersons whom this line of query speaks-to, they call him the Japanese Babe Ruth. Which perchance conjures up images of sumo more-so than svelte 23-year-old. The nom de diamond speaks to his right-handed flung 102mph heater with accompanying slider and splitter. Splitter seems so old-school now. I recall whenst 'twas the new-school. Nevertheless, like the Babe, S.Otais also plays a lil out-field and swats some balls. Over his last couple campaigns, he's picked-up some power, adding to his .326 batting-average 30 big-flies in 613 at-bats over that time. As to pitching statistics, how's 'bout going 42-15 in 85 games with a 2.52 ERA and 10.3 strike-out average over nine-inning doses of his 543 pitched thus-far?
Why Otani and his play is or perhaps are now big news stateside is that he's been talking of coming over for some-time. The Japanese star hath just recently employed CAA Sports as his USofA representation. This on the heels of him stating his intent to play here in 2018. I mean all this ain't a secret, but too -- it mightn't be as easy to pull off as you may think. We'll get into them particulars by beginning with some strides taken in making this happen.
Major league baseball has reached what they term a "tentative understanding" with the NPB. Essentially this has to do with a one-year extension of the free-agent posting system currently in place, this info via Joel Sherman of the New York Post. This stemming directly from discussions twixt MLB and NPB, ensuring that Japanese teams get a better cut of their player's contracts. The newer plan would have been far-less favorable to them and may-well have nixed this all from the word go. So, it's all about mollah with that dang Nippon Professional Baseball League. Pffft. The take-away here is that for a $20 million fee, any ol' MLB club can negotiate with Otani. For 30 days.
Our lad Otani is no such material girl. One can safely say it ain't about the money on his end. Not that he'll be dining it up in soup kitchens upon his arrival, but he is OK with leaving there-abouts $100M on the table to come play right now in the MLB. If he simply waited two more years till his 25th trip around the sun in this his current soul incarnation, his contract here would be of nine figures if 'twas a dime. But he's as I said already, just 23-years-old. So teams here have to act as though he's a 16-year-old Dominican kid. Succinctly (as if I ever could) his signing bonus and contract will be the standard bit of business as any unproven draft-pick or mere mortal international free-agent.
Still, there doth exist a snag. The Players Union. The Major League Baseball Players Association, to be exact. They can plum veto any bit of this business. They've recently been quite concerned with this bit of business, too. They're a stickler for any player's previous non-US squad getting much more moolah than the foreign player himself. Makes sense, that. No need to seed a competing league. But this is a big deal. Because NPB likely walks if the already-mentioned "tentative understanding" goes sayonara.
This is all very complex and verily more outta most hands. Lettuce play-pretend that the sushi fall wherest in favor of Otani coming to America. Then he must agree to a marriage from the teams that have courted him via elaborate courting fees. What then, huh? Well, whilst every team would want him, there are a handful a' main players, speaking strictly monetarily. Also, we have a decent idea as to what they'll be speaking monetarily. According to the AP, the Bronx Bombers can offer Otani a $3.25M signing bonus. Only the Texas Rangers can offer more ($3.535M). The Minnesota Twins come in third with a potential $3.245M -- but whom the heck are we kidding? Notable clubs like the Red Sox, Cubs, and Dodgers can all swing around $3-400K. By comparison, that ain't 'nuff swing to fill half a minute of a Benny Goodman tune.
But what's the best fit? The one thing we know is that Otani wants to continue being both a hitter and pitcher. But which does he prefer and what will be done whenst it is revealed he's not a professional caliber hitter? And what of the leg injuries that allowed him only five starts in 2017? I figured this column needed some punching up right 'round now. Beyond hitter or pitcher -- Left coast or Right? Big or small market? Boxers or briefs? AL or NL... American League or National League? The one spot the Damn Yankees aren't completely perfect here is in their despicable use of the DH. How will Otani feel about sitting and letting a designated-hitter take his ABs?
I'll tell ya what I do see happening, and it involves him going to the Damn Yankees, as doth the rest of this story do. A dual role as pitcher and DH whenst he starts games, staying in to play the rest of the game once removed from the mound. What a hoot! Is that legal? As far as when he does start, maybe he starts some at DH, maybe Aaron "Dave Kingman" Judge does too. Maybe "Dirty" Sanchez. In other words, the one Yank issue ain't without a work-around. Plus, he'll have Masahiro Tanaka to show him around town, since he's announced his staying-on. Also, Hideki Matsui works with the staff in a special advisory capacity. Seems like the easiest transition since Caitlyn Jenner's.
Finances make sense for him to put on the pin-stripes, as well. The Bronx Zoo wants to come in under the 2018 $197M luxury-tax threshold. Shohei is a cost-effective youngster with one heckuva up-side. As a ticket-seller and as a pitcher. I bet he goes to the Mets in a few years and stays happy hitting for himself during starts. I mean long-relief stints. This has all been a lot to digest. Also, I jumped the gun on reintroducing coffee to my IBS gut.
Gotta go.
"HERE KITTY KITTY"