Tanaka Is A Yankee!

[ABQCOWBOY]

Masahiro Tanaka to Yanks for $155M
Updated: January 22, 2014, 11:47 AM ET
By Andrew Marchand | ESPNNewYork.com
NEW YORK -- The Yankees spent much of 2013 scouting starter Masahiro Tanaka in Japan. After seeing him go 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA, they came away convinced his stuff would translate to the major leagues.

On Wednesday, before Tanaka has ever thrown a major league pitch, they confirmed their conviction by signing the 25-year-old right-hander to a seven-year, $155 million contract, his agent, Casey Close, confirmed to ESPNNewYork.com

The contract includes an opt-out clause after the fourth year. The Yankees will pay Tanaka's Japanese team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles, a $20 million posting fee.

"We're going to do what we've got to do to win," Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner, who is not as involved in day-to-day operations as his brother, Hal, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.


To read entire article, click on link below:

http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/sto...ork-yankees-agree-seven-year-155-million-deal

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

This is a huge sign for the Yankees. Now, with CC, Tanaka, Kuroda, and possibly either Jimenez or Arroyo to be signed in FA, that leaves the Yankees with 4 very strong starters in the rotation. Yankees still have Nova, Nuno, Phelps and what sounds like a healthy Pineda to compete for the 5th starter. The others will likely be assigned to the Bull Pen. If Pineda is healthy and returns to forum, this rotation probably becomes the strongest in Baseball.

Will interesting to see what happens now.

 

[CashMan]

I love baseball, but this is disgusting! Baseball needs a cap, desperately.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I love baseball, but this is disgusting! Baseball needs a cap, desperately.

Why? Every team had a chance to sign him.

 

[CashMan]

There is more that meets the eye. I do understand the revenue sharing, and I will say the changing to the posting fee is a help. But, how is a smaller market team, like San Diego or a Pittsburgh compete will a large market like New York. Essentially, they are almost at $200mill over 7yrs for this pitcher. In baseball, the rich get richer, and the poor get/stay poor/poorer.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

There is more that meets the eye. I do understand the revenue sharing, and I will say the changing to the posting fee is a help. But, how is a smaller market team, like San Diego or a Pittsburgh compete will a large market like New York. Essentially, they are almost at $200mill over 7yrs for this pitcher. In baseball, the rich get richer, and the poor get/stay poor/poorer.

No, they are at 155 over 7 years.

Small market teams get compensated from the Yankees and it is up to them to actually spend the money. This is a 25 year old pitcher that can throw with power and control. He has 5 ligit big league pitches. If you are not going to invest in this guy, who would you invest in?

I don't really buy into that whole Poor get poorer stuff. Until small market teams open their books and show how much money they are actually making, there really is no basis to support that argument IMO. It comes down to owners being willing to spend IMO.

 

[CashMan]

No, they are at 155 over 7 years.

Small market teams get compensated from the Yankees and it is up to them to actually spend the money. This is a 25 year old pitcher that can throw with power and control. He has 5 ligit big league pitches. If you are not going to invest in this guy, who would you invest in?

I don't really buy into that whole Poor get poorer stuff. Until small market teams open their books and show how much money they are actually making, there really is no basis to support that argument IMO. It comes down to owners being willing to spend IMO.

I think the key word I used was almost. If my math is off, 155+20=175, 175 is pretty close to 200.

This is a 25yr old pitcher, who threw a smaller baseball than MLB allows, comes from a system close to AAA, and has a lot of innings under his belt. I think a better price should of been closer to $100mill, but I think the Texas pitcher who was poster a couple seasons ago is better than he is.

Baseball is broken, and need a cap to fix itself.

 

[Rockport]

Masahiro Tanaka to Yanks for $155M
Updated: January 22, 2014, 11:47 AM ET
By Andrew Marchand | ESPNNewYork.com
NEW YORK -- The Yankees spent much of 2013 scouting starter Masahiro Tanaka in Japan. After seeing him go 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA, they came away convinced his stuff would translate to the major leagues.

On Wednesday, before Tanaka has ever thrown a major league pitch, they confirmed their conviction by signing the 25-year-old right-hander to a seven-year, $155 million contract, his agent, Casey Close, confirmed to ESPNNewYork.com

The contract includes an opt-out clause after the fourth year. The Yankees will pay Tanaka's Japanese team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles, a $20 million posting fee.

"We're going to do what we've got to do to win," Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner, who is not as involved in day-to-day operations as his brother, Hal, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.


To read entire article, click on link below:

http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/sto...ork-yankees-agree-seven-year-155-million-deal

This is why baseball is declining in interest in this country. Only the Yankees have the $$ to make this signing.

 

[CashMan]

Said the Cubs offered 8/$200mill.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I think the key word I used was almost. If my math is off, 155+20=175, 175 is pretty close to 200.

This is a 25yr old pitcher, who threw a smaller baseball than MLB allows, comes from a system close to AAA, and has a lot of innings under his belt. I think a better price should of been closer to $100mill, but I think the Texas pitcher who was poster a couple seasons ago is better than he is.

Baseball is broken, and need a cap to fix itself.

I don't think the 20 goes against the cap so it's really not all that close to 200 to be honest. Also, it's really only a 4 year deal. I assume you are talking about Darvish? Well, Darvish is bigger and probably has a better fastball but a lot of people say that as good as Darvish is, this kid is better. He has more stuff and he has much better control. I guess we'll see. As far as what he was worth, well, it's a blind bid so we already know that a minimum of 6 years at 120 Mil was the starting point. That's been reported. Yankees could never have bid 100 and had any hope of signing him. The teams that weren't willing to step up to 20 Mil a season, as a starting point, didn't even make the short list.

Baseball may be broken. I would not argue that but again, until teams are willing to open up their books and actually show what they are pocketing, you can't have that argument with any degree of certainty. There is a reason that none of these small market owners want to show what they are making.

 

[CashMan]

I don't think the 20 goes against the cap so it's really not all that close to 200 to be honest.

It is not what goes against the "soft cap" baseball has, if you figure the $20 mill into the total amount(the can break the 20 into 2 payments) it is $175 mill.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

It is not what goes against the "soft cap" baseball has, if you figure the $20 mill into the total amount(the can break the 20 into 2 payments) it is $175 mill.

No, all that matters is the cap and the 20 Million was getting paid by any team who signed him so I don't really think it's a deal where you can say it's 175 Million contract. Even if you looked at it like 175M, that's still not 200 and it's not close to 200 IMO but doesn't matter. That's simply a matter of opinion.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

It doesn't solve all the Yankees problems...

But given the signings they've made it's potentially a 90-win club.

Several things need to break right for them to reach say 95-wins, but it's a better team than they put on the field in 2013.

 

[Nova]

This is why baseball is declining in interest in this country. Only the Yankees have the $$ to make this signing.

The Dodgers are probably spending more. Also, spending doesn't solve all problems. Often times it leads to overpaying for your own players.

 

[CashMan]

The Dodgers are probably spending more. Also, spending doesn't solve all problems. Often times it leads to overpaying for your own players.

The dodgers just signed a large TV contract. The uncapped league, allows teams like the dodgers, yanks, and sawks to overpay players which messes up the market for all the rest of the teams. There is no balance in the mlb because of this.

 

[Nova]

The dodgers just signed a large TV contract. The uncapped league, allows teams like the dodgers, yanks, and sawks to overpay players which messes up the market for all the rest of the teams. There is no balance in the mlb because of this.

Right. The dodgers probably have equal spending power, maybe more soon enough. But they can only buy so many players and it doesn't guarantee championships.

Other teams find a way.

 

[CashMan]

Right. The dodgers probably have equal spending power, maybe more soon enough. But they can only buy so many players and it doesn't guarantee championships.

Other teams find a way.

I think the Dodgers, once they tap into the market a little more, buy this injection of money, and gain more fans with the star power, will be #1, very soon.

 

[TheCowboy]

Darvish > Tanaka

 

[CashMan]

Darvish > Tanaka

Agreed.

Even going back to Dice-K, there was a TON of hype. Like his "Gyro" ball was going to revolutionize the game. No one is going to re-invent the wheel, when it comes to pitching, so until these Japanese pitchers throw in the states, you have no idea when they will do. There are too many factors, such as the smaller ball they use, and the style of play. They are like scratch off lotto tickets. I've also read, they abuse them, inning wise, all the way up through high school, so that is why I think they have a lot of wear and tear on their arms.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Agreed

Even going back to Dice-K, there was a TON of hype. Like his "Gyro" ball was going to revolutionize the game. No one is going to re-invent the wheel, when it comes to pitching, so until these Japanese pitchers throw in the states, you have no idea when they will do. There are too many factors, such as the smaller ball they use, and the style of play. They are like scratch off lotto tickets. I've also read, they abuse them, inning wise, all the way up through high school, so that is why I think they have a lot of wear and tear on their arms.

I agree that you never really know about anybody till they've actually done it. There is risk involved with this for sure. Having said that, most people I've read and heard comment on the subject, who have seen Darvish and Tanaka, believe that Tanaka is the better prospect at similar stages of their prospective careers. I don't know if Tanaka will be better. I'd be happy if he was almost as good, to be honest, because Darvish is damn good IMO.

If he flames out, then the Yankees will suffer the consequences of that but if he is the real deal, then this is a bargain for the Yankees.