Shohei Otani AKA Japan's Babe Ruth is about to take MLB by storm!
Shohei Ohtani, "Japan's Babe Ruth" is 22 years old, has a 100mph fastball, and literally hits homers out of the park, but will a MLB team let him pitch and hit full time?
This story starts from the offseason and the CBA agreed to by Rob Manfred’s office and the MLB Players Union. If you look between the lines of the All-Star Game not counting towards anything and the luxury tax increasing and the qualifying offer system being revamped, you will see this:
“Foreign Professionals will continue to be exempt from the Pools. Foreign Professionals will be defined as players who are at least 25 years of age and who have played as a professional in a foreign league recognized by the Commissioner's Office for a minimum of six seasons.” -From MLB
What does this mean? Unless a player is over 25 years old, an amateur player from Japan, South Korea, China, Cuba, Mexico, Russia (okay, that’s a bit of a stretch), Netherlands, and essentially anywhere, a player is subject to the signing restrictions put in place in the CBA, meaning signing bonuses of no more than $6 million.
Who does this affect the most? Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani, currently playing in Nippon Professional Baseball.
In case you’ve been living under a rock or you’re still a 1920s era, hardcore nativist, this is Ohtani’s resume for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters so far:
His Awards?
• Japan Series champion (2016)
• 3× NPB All-Star (2013–2016)
• Pacific League MVP (2016)
• 2× Pacific League Best Nine (2015–2016)
• Designated hitter Best Nine (2016)
• Pacific League ERA leader (2015)
• Pacific League Battery Award, with Shota Ono (2015)
And in case the accomplishments and stats don’t mean much to you, he can compete with Aroldis Chapman…
And Giancarlo Stanton..
Sounds like a player that most, if not all, MLB teams would want.
Thing is, Ohtani WANTED to be in America as soon as possible in 2012, when he was 18. He had committed to MLB early, and teams like the New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers (who had signed Yu Darvish that same year) scouted him heavily, getting ready to throw big money at him. However, after the Ham Fighters drafted him in the NPB Draft and a promise to let him be a hybrid player (pitcher and position player), he accepted the draft. This allowed him to play his early career in Japan before moving to MLB.
Now, at age 22, everyone thought that Ohtani would declare for MLB as soon as 2017 to avoid the signing restrictions. Professional sports writers have claimed that he could make at least $250 million in his first contract. But with the new rules put in place, he can't make any more than a minor league deal and a $6 million signing bonus between now and when he turns 25, which would be in 2019. This was SURE to keep Ohtani from coming to America.
Earlier in March, however, Ohtani had an interview with Bleacher Report’s Scott Miller, and he said the following:
"Personally, the new CBA rules do not mean much to me, and it is not going to stop me from going over to the States…The only thing that worries me is the other young players that might try to go overseas after me. I don't want to set the bar too low for them and have to get underpaid because of my decision.”
That statement didn’t mean too much back then. All that was saying was that he didn’t really care about the CBA rules. But wait a minute! Let’s listen in really quick on his interview with 60 Minutes this Sunday:
“Personally, I don’t care how much I get paid or how much less I get paid because of this,” he says in the interview, and hinted at a high possibility that he’s in the majors as soon as next year.
What does this mean for Ohtani? This shows that he doesn’t care all too much about the money to play in MLB. He’s willing to pass up $250 million just to play in America. That’s some hard dedication.
Also, with the 5 years of experience he has under his belt, he has proven that all major league teams should want to use him as a hybrid player, which helps his stock even more.
And speaking of those interested teams, every single team would benefit if Ohtani is indeed posted this offseason, because of those aforementioned signing restrictions.
Previously, before the new CBA rules, teams could technically go way over their international player pool. Yoan Moncada got a $31.5 million signing bonus from the Red Sox in 2015, and the Red Sox then went ahead and cheated the system in the 2015-16 pool (before they got caught, and probably led to the new restrictions on signing international free agents).
But now, everyone’s on the same page: players under 25 can get a minor league deal with no more than a $6 million signing bonus.
Basically, a system in which a player would go sign with the Yankees, Red Sox, or Dodgers all of a sudden turns into a system in which the Cleveland Indians have just as much of a chance as the New York Yankees.
Ohtani being posted as soon as this upcoming offseason would be huge for smaller market teams that have felt the effects of big market teams snatching up these types of players.
For Ohtani, he essentially narrows his decision down to who will let him pitch and hit full time. And what seemed to be a long shot back when he was an 18 year old prospect has now turned into a legitimate idea for MLB teams. Many teams, both AL and NL, are willing to take him in as a pitcher/designated hitter. Of course, unless an NL team is willing to put him in as an outfielder on his non-pitching days, he would likely be limited to AL teams. However, every single team would still get a chance to bid on his services. Even the Marlins have an even chance to get Ohtani (though based on how we’ve seen the Marlins go these past years, I’m pretty sure he is staying far away from Miami).
Now, as for what team he ends up signing with if and when he goes to the States, my biased self thinks he’ll still sign with the Yankees. Most of my friends would hope he signs with the Mets. Half the world would probably want him to sign with the Cubs.
At any rate, this young phenom is going to the states at some point. The only question is when, because that will determine who will be bidding for his services.
Big market teams hope for 2019, small market teams hope for right now.
(UPDATE: He did come to America this year, and he signed with the Los Angeles Angels.)