Masahiro Tanaka

[PrinceFielderx1]

With the need to recover, and given his history... why not roll the dice now?

 

The posting fee is reasonable, and if you add him, it is not like it costs a draft pick. Weeks and Ramirez come off the books after this season, so why not go for Tanaka now? Perhaps getting him could open the option to put Lohse or Gallardo on the block for prospects...

 

Agree. Put Lohse on the block.

 

The entire reasoning in everyone's mind by agreeing to pay Tanaka 15mil+ is because he can be the addition to send your team in to serious Playoff contention/WS hopes. Overpaying because he's young for a FA.

 

You don't add Tanaka to get rid of Lohse or Gallardo. You're adding Tanaka because with Lohse/Gallardo/Peralta He becomes your #2-4 pitcher that plays with Lohse/Gallardo the next 2seasons and gets you in to the Playoffs and believing beyond the first round of it.

 

I don't see Milwaukee doing that at all.

 

At only 18 million a year and him only being 25 the Brewers should go 8/140 17.5 million a year. That's better than 6/125 I thought would be needed. He'd never make more than Braun.

 

Braun is set to make 10mil this year 12mil next year. There is zero chance you can sign Tanaka for 8/140 pay him less than or equal to 10/12 the next 2 years and for the remaining money to then not exceed Braun's Annual Pay the remaining 6years.

 

So indeed, Tanaka will make more than Braun, I just envision it being more than Braun this year and next year before settling in slightly below Braun. That's why I see this as insanity. A person who's never thrown a ML pitch, gone through the minors, is set to make more this year than a MVP with 7years experience being MVP-like.

 

I just have this thought, why don't American kids just move to Japan and take their talents there for 2-4years after High School and let that Japanese club then post them? Because rather than now make 500k the next 3years, they will be seeing 7+mil come their way via a Free Agent contract? I'm waiting for someone to expose this loophole this way at some point. Just look at the number of players who've recently signed with Asian ballclubs, they are making more money there while rebuilding on their reputation to some day get a contract to come back. If it's working for ballplayers in their late 20s why not just seek it out in your late teens?

 

I disagree completely.

 

Braun will make more due to the MVP bonuses. He will also starting in 2016 make 19 million+ a year, which is more than Tanaka at 17.5. You can make the case for lohse in the short term like next year contending. However as a GM you need to look long term and should we sign tanaka what do we do with Nelson, Thornburg, and Helllweg? The way i see it we have a SP to spare. Lohse would be worth a lot likely more than Ramirez. Trade him and another prospect for a top 3B prospect to replace Ramirez and that will make Ramirez expendable after next season, and should he have a good season we can pick up the option and trade him for prospects also, and call up that 3B prospect to replace him. Those two moves will save the Brewers 25 million over 2 years, plus Weeks will be off the books so that is 11 million more, and the Brewers are getting 26 million in additional revenue and are only at 83 million right now and have been close to 100 million.. Use that money for extensions, Gallardo, Segura, Gomez, Lucroy, and Peralta. The new core that will go along with Tanaka/Braun. I have a lot of faith in Nelson, and Thornburg to both make a big impact in their 1st season. I see us contending either way. I'm not worried.

 

I say go hard after Tanaka. A top of the rotation of Tanaka, Gallardo, Peralta and Estrada is very good combine that with our offense and SP depth and it's a contender.

[brewcrewdue80]

I say go hard after Tanaka. A top of the rotation of Tanaka, Gallardo, Peralta and Estrada is very good combine that with our offense and SP depth and it's a contender.

 

But it's better with Lohse,Tanaka,Gallardo/Peralta and then Estrada. What if Gallardo blows this year too? Worse than last season? Obviously the Brewers don't pick up his option but now we head in to 2015 with Tanaka,Peralta and praying that Nelson,Thornburg,Jungmann/Hellweg 3 of the 4 being the 3s we all hope they are to be. There's no Guarantee that Tanaka is even any better than a #3 for a rotation. He could be a 185ip 3.9ERA guy. Again great to Compliment a Playoff pushing teams depth in the rotation but not someone you throw away your #1 and rely on. Especially when your former #1 is considered a #4 rotation guy suddenly.

 

I just feel like it would be a complete waste of ML resources to acquire Tanaka at his cost, dump Lohse for prospects, and then hope your young staff pan out in to a Playoff berth and run? Darvish was a K machine with some wildness and in his first year had a modest 3.9ERA before refining in to the Ace he was projected this year. Tanaka isn't of Darvish talent. I think more Hyun-Jin Ryu like. Only he's pitching in a hitters ballpark so Ryu's 3ERA is Tanaka's 3.8 or more.

What you're suggesting is more than likely passing on your chances this year for a post-season then, 2015 with or without Gallardo/ARam then is hard to make the playoffs. And at the same time that leaves 2016 our last big hope before Gomez departs.

 

Truthfully, I like the Brewers better if they would sign Tanaka, trade Hellweg for Ike Davis and go out and compete in 2014. Maybe you trade Jungmann for Davis(let's be honest Hellweg has higher upside than Jungmann)

If Melvin pulled that off after acquiring Wil Smith it could be a GM of the Year type stuff. I'd at least think we'd be a very dangerous team come playoffs with a healthy lineup.

 

But, if you acquire Tanaka just to trade Lohse or Gallardo? for the asking price? No way is that a good plan.

[trwi7]

I can't believe we're even talking about this. We're not paying $20 million in addition to the $100+ million contract Tanaka is going to command.

[And That]

The Brewers would be stupid not to bid the max $20 mil, just like just about every team would be stupid not to bid $20 mil. There's about a zero percent chance they'd take Milwaukee's offer, but if for some reason they did, I'm sure the Brewers would figure out how to marshal the resources. Attanasio always talks about stretching the budget for the right player, and I assume Tanaka would be one of those players.

[PrinceFielderx1]

The Brewers would be stupid not to bid the max $20 mil, just like just about every team would be stupid not to bid $20 mil. There's about a zero percent chance they'd take Milwaukee's offer, but if for some reason they did, I'm sure the Brewers would figure out how to marshal the resources. Attanasio always talks about stretching the budget for the right player, and I assume Tanaka would be one of those players.

 

This is exactly why I'm proposing this.

[brewcrewdue80]

Casey McGehee gave him the thumbs up applauding his fork ball and saying whichever team gets him will be very happy they did.

 

I'm actually surprised that Miami hasn't been linked to Tanaka. Yeah I hate their owner and his strategy but wouldn't this seem like the right move to reapply his strategy? And with McGehee signed to Miami, what's the chances they were getting a decent scouting report from him to make it happen?

 

Anyway, I read the Yankees have already posted for their ability to discuss with Tanaka, I think there's zero chance any team will outbid the evil empire. I wonder just how close in money Tanaka will make to Sabathia's. I mean New York has paid 15mil and now 16mil for 38/39year old Kuroda. I think due to Tanaka's age they will be nearing the 20mil/year threshold. Maybe it'll be 16mil per like Kuroda's but with incentives like 200IP is another 8mil. I can see NY doing that.

[TheCrew07]

Masahiro Tanaka Sweepstakes Preview: Ranking The Top 10 Teams For The Japanese Ace

 

Plenty of explanation follows each team, I just cut out the top 4 ranked teams into a list. The story has embedded links to the previous stories which are already in the International/Draft forum... and no the Brewers are not one of the top 10 projected teams, which shouldn't really shock anyone.

THE HEAVYWEIGHTS

 

4. Chicago Cubs

3. Los Angeles Dodgers

2. New York Yankees

1. Seattle Mariners

[jerichoholicninja]

I think it will be Seattle or the Yankees. The Yankees have the money and will probably just give him a blank check. Seattle clearly wants to be competitive and they've had great success with previous Japanese players and they seem to like it there too. While their offense still won't be spectacular that would be a very solid rotation 1-3 with Hernandez, Iwakuma, and Tanaka and some great potential arms with Taijuan Walker and James Paxton and even Danny Hultzen if he can ever get healthy.