Otani rules out Yankees, Red Sox; prefers West Coast

Good for him. Hope he ends up with the SF Giants. Please don't go to Seattle, that would be so typical. I wonder how the Yankees and Red SOx feel about being snubbed? This is the second time for the Red Sox, first GianCarlo Stanton, now Ohtani!

He must do what is expected of him: Seattle. (^_^) The Mariners need help.

Man, we definitely need a team named the Ham Fighters here in America!

I have to think that Seattle is one of the favorites: (1) Ichiro's very successful career with the Mariners; (2) Nintendo still has minority ownership; (3) Mariners are on the cusp of being a playoff contender. They added another $500K to the bonus pool by trading one of their prospect relievers to the White Sox, and I wouldn't be surprised if they traded again to continue to build their pool.

I see him as the #2 behind Paxton and ahead of Felix, as well as DH. Lastly, the Mariners have a 1B problem, and this could solve that issue.

Otani is limited to a minor league contract

I don't understand. Aren't the Texas Rangers and the Yankees etc major league teams? The article says he could sign a contract with them.

Obviously wouldn't be able to handle the pressure so not suited for the spotlight in The City That Never Sleeps.

@Kawabega, all the major league teams have numerous affiliated minor league teams. MLB teams sign young and veteran players to a minor league contract without promising extensive playing time on the top team in order to save money and to keep their minor league teams viable entertainment for fans. Ohtani is pushing to play in the U.S. before age 25, so he will accept a less lucrative contract for his first couple of years. If he indeed starts on a minor league team, you can be sure that team will hype the heck out of him to make $.

And Ohtani should start out in the minors considering he is going through post-surgery rehabilitation. But the risk presented by him bombing in the minors then could damage his attractiveness to fans of the top team. But the minors are full of highly rated 20-23 years old, so he would be among his true cohort.

 don't understand. Aren't the Texas Rangers and the Yankees etc major league teams? The article says he could sign a contract with them?

it's simple. japanese teams wanted to make it less enticing for japanese players to jump ship, and major league baseball teams didn't want to spend a fortune on someone who might end up a bust.  so not only will japanese "rookies" earn a fraction of what they are worth, the japanese teams makes out like bandits with the transfer fee and MLB teams have almost zero risk. otani will make it up on his next contract but for now he's getting screwed.

The New York Mets, Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers are also among the teams told they won't sign Otani.

But Oakland is a smaller, west coast team

@lostrune2, the wrinkle there is that it looks like Oakland doesn't have much money in their international signing bonus fund. It would be possible to trade or cut players to beef up their bonus money from a team like the Twins. I would guess Otani took Oakland off the list because they are not considered an elite World Series contending team like other west coast teams (SF Giants stunk in 2017 but are three time champs since 2010), and not many Japanese players have flourished in Oakland. A's best era was the Bash Brothers years in the late 1980s, but even those teams are tainted by lurid steroid tales from Jose Canseco's autobiography etc.

seattle and texas are the only teams who can afford him, he will be a mariner

The largest deal he could sign is with the Texas Rangers for $3,535,000, followed by the Yankees ($3.5 million), Minnesota ($3.07 million), Pittsburgh ($2,266,750), Seattle ($1,557,500), Miami ($1.49 million) and the Los Angeles Angels ($1,315,000).

That's a massive difference. Any third-party deals (sponsors) in MLB?

The difference is how much is already under contract to reward young prospects from, mostly, Latin America. Money from sponsors is a different topic, probably negotiated through a player's agent and is not part of salary/ bonus/ team salary cap considerations. The majority of Otani's sponsorship money will be from Japanese companies for now, given that he is a star here and an unknown in the U.S. (besides among the fantasy baseball fanatics).

Great, thanks for the info torafusan.

@crazyjoe

The teams is called the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters. Nippon Ham is the company that owns the team. In Japan, teams use stupid corporate names. Would you want major league teams with names like the Oakland Apple A's, LA Google Dodgers or NY General Motors Yankees? I don't think so...

He might be thinking warmer climate near Disneyland. Angels or Dodgers. Both teams have plenty more income than its budget states to recruit him. Giants may want. Rockies may want him to prepare for WS. But Rangers again want Japanese Ace.

Angels signed Johnson but it may want him.

He is a pitcher who is also an established power hitter. Dodgers may try. Talent like him are ,usually signed by National. Giants? Mariners is too cold. Angels hasn't signed Japanese players for many. years.

I'd love to see him join the Mariners.

Their GM, Dipoto has been going all out. He's made a trade to increase their international signing bonus, he's suggested moving Cruz to the outfield a few times a week and he's even asked current and former players to be available to travel to LA this week to meet him. I hope Ohtani notices and appreciates this.

Angels signed Johnson but it may want him.

They traded for Johnson plus international spending money which they want to use towards Ohtani. Angels need pitching very badly. We have had so many injuries these past few ears on our pitchers.

Nobody knows Ohtani's intention is to be the face of the franchise, Seattle or San Diego would be ideal. King Felix is on the decline of late. Angels have Mike Trout who is already the face of the team.

Angels never really had great Japanese players. Hideki Matsui was nearing the end of his career. Takahashi was decent. Shigetoshi "Getting Shiggy with it" Hasegawa was their best Japanese player in long relief. I was sad when he left to the Mariners.

Angels has been bad luck with pitchers. The location is better than where Dodgers is. located. It's about time Angels get a Japanese. pitcher. He will. love Orange County. There are several teams and he will have choice in cactus league. Arizona may try. It is thrifty. It may outdo Rangers.

@katsu: Is Iwakuma healthy? How about Aoki?

Mike Socior may convince front office to get him. He probably has eyes on freeway series and WS.

Oakland was sharing field,, but its cotenant moved out to brand new field in Vegas. So, A's. has more fund. It may be a candidate of Ohtani's Western team. padre, I doubt.