Tanaka to Yankees - 7/$155MM + $20MM posting fee

[JohnBriggs12]

Report 7yrs. 155 million.

 

I was actually hoping the Cubs would get him and see him blow his arm out in 2 years just as they are ready with all their position players to make their move. Ah well, hope this requires the Yankees to at least pay some luxury tax.

[jerichoholicninja]

There's no way he lives up to that contract. I'm not saying he is going to be a bad pitcher, he's probably going to be very good, but not worth $22M a year. Aren't the scouts saying he's not as good as Darvish? Darvish isn't even a $22M a year pitcher.

 

So much for the new posting system making an even playing field.

[jjkoestler]

Does the $155mm include the $20mm posting fee?

[jerichoholicninja]

Does the $155mm include the $20mm posting fee?

 

No, $22M a season.

 

[JohnBriggs12]

It could be expected teams from major markets would overpay for services of a 25 year old pitcher who figures to be a solid #2 or #3 starter.

 

As for the even playing field well the big market teams can only hoard so many pitchers. They'll have to trade off pitching prospects to get any value out of them

[brewcrewdue80]

And I posted in the Tanaka thread elsewhere. More than Ryan Braun makes without ever throwing a pitch in the Minors or Majors. Yeah this should lead to a max exodus of American Ballplayers who can attract Japanese Professional teams to sign them and play there and then sign Massive Free Agent Contracts to come back here. Forget all that through the minors/6years of team control crap!

If I had a son right now I wouldn't be think ML draft out of High School. No way. It's mindblowing to me Tanaka can make 22mil/year w/o any Minor League/Major League experience. To skip paying his dues with a team before hitting the big pay-day here.

Wow, just wow. 22mil/yr...I mean remember 2 years ago it was Milwaukee feeling like it was making a decent offer to Grienke at 20mil. per year. There is no tv deal money that can make Milwaukee offer something like this kind of contract. Maybe it's time to find a 2nd team to root for because clearly Milwaukee has zero competitive chance in MLB today.

[jjkoestler]

Does the $155mm include the $20mm posting fee?

 

No, $22M a season.

 

 

$25MM for a pitcher who hasn't thrown a single pitch in the majors.... That's insane.

[Invader3K]

I guess the Yankees aren't taking heed of how Dice-K worked out for Boston.

[monty57]

So much for the new posting system making an even playing field.

 

I thought the posting wasn't an MLB rule, but a Japanese one. The players were basically owned by their team, and if the player wanted to play in the U.S., the Japanese league worked out the system that allowed the team to make a huge payday by "selling" the player's rights to an MLB team. This generally ended in the MLB team paying a lot of money, the Japanese team making a lot of money, and the player getting signed to a smaller contract. The Japanese players were upset by this, so I thought the new posting was so that the player would get more of the pie and the Japanese team less of the pie.

 

Yeah this should lead to a max exodus of American Ballplayers who can attract Japanese Professional teams to sign them and play there and then sign Massive Free Agent Contracts to come back here.

 

I believe the Japanese rules are much stricter than the U.S. rules, so this would be a risky strategy. Plus, the work routines they put their players through would probably destroy an American recent HS grad, who has been babied compared to what they do over there. So, if a player decided to go this route, moved to Japan from age 18 to his mid-to-late 20's making relatively little money, and ended up being a superstar, then yes, he could potentially convince his team to sell his rights back to a U.S. team and he wouldn't have to go through the pre-arby/arby process. If he was merely an average MLB talent, no one would pay $20MM on top of a contract to get him.

[TURBO]

Was there ever REALLY a doubt he would end up a Yankee? I thought it would be between the Dodgers and Yankees myself...

[GAME05]

after Kei Igawa and Hideki Irabu (rip), i thought the Yankees said they weren't much interested in paying top dollar for Japanese talent anymore. guess that didn't last long.

[Warning Track Power]

Maybe it's time to find a 2nd team to root for because clearly Milwaukee has zero competitive chance in MLB today.

I have been saying this for years. Until there is competitive balance in what each team in MLB can spend, the small market teams will have to run a flawless organization to maintain success. There is no reason Prince Fielder should not have been a career Brewer or David Price a career Ray.

 

Unfortunately, MLB acts like the large markets and small markets are in direct competition with one another instead of all being under the same corporation. Instead of all teams being the same coffee company, MLB treats the New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, etc... markets as Starbucks and the Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Cleveland, etc... markets as Colectivo.

 

It's beyond frustrating and I would gladly give up multiple seasons via a lockout to get spending balance.

[jhart05]

Perfect example of what is currently wrong with MLB and professional sports overall.

 

I think it's time to become a Lakeshore Chinooks/Northwoods League fan.

[TooLiveBrew]

I guess the Yankees aren't taking heed of how Dice-K worked out for Boston.

I think you could also say they're taking heed of how Darvish has worked out so far in Texas.

[Thurston Fluff]

Perfect example of what is currently wrong with MLB and professional sports overall.

 

I think it's time to become a Lakeshore Chinooks/Northwoods League fan.

 

Chinooks fan!!!??? Heretic!!! Heathen!!!

Sincerely,

A Bullfrog fan.

[trwi7]

Perfect example of what is currently wrong with MLB and professional sports overall.

 

I think it's time to become a Lakeshore Chinooks/Northwoods League fan.

 

Chinooks fan!!!??? Heretic!!! Heathen!!!

Sincerely,

A Bullfrog fan.

 

"Grip it and Ribbit"

[sveumrules]

The Yankees spent 229 million last year to miss the playoffs.

 

The Rays, Pirates and A's combined spent a total of 192 million and each made the playoffs.

 

Since the 2008 season the Yankees have spent approximately 1.269 BILLION dollars to win 564 games, most in MLB over that time. Tampa has won the second most games over that same time frame, 550, while only spending about 348 million in payroll.

 

The Rangers have spent 64, 92, 121 & 125 million the last 4 years. They have won 90, 96, 93 & 91 games. Their 2013 payroll was double their 2009 payroll, and they won one more game.

 

Sure the richer teams have an advantage, but it guarantees nothing. The reason the Brewers are in a less than ideal place on the win/talent curve currently isn't because they can't spend to bring in the best free agents, it's because they can't identify and develop young talent.

[jhart05]

Perfect example of what is currently wrong with MLB and professional sports overall.

 

I think it's time to become a Lakeshore Chinooks/Northwoods League fan.

 

Chinooks fan!!!??? Heretic!!! Heathen!!!

Sincerely,

A Bullfrog fan.

 

 

I'm just picking the closest one to me. I live in West Allis.

 

But seriously I may just do that, looking at those ticket prices.

$12 to sit in what would be $90? field level diamond box at Miller Park.

$9 to sit in $50-$60? field level box seats at Miller Park.

Or $6 to bring your own lawn chair and sit in the grass beyond the OF fence.

Not a bad deal if you just want to watch a little baseball.

[Warning Track Power]

The Yankees spent 229 million last year to miss the playoffs.

 

The Rays, Pirates and A's combined spent a total of 192 million and each made the playoffs.

 

Since the 2008 season the Yankees have spent approximately 1.269 BILLION dollars to win 564 games, most in MLB over that time. Tampa has won the second most games over that same time frame, 550, while only spending about 348 million in payroll.

 

The Rangers have spent 64, 92, 121 & 125 million the last 4 years. They have won 90, 96, 93 & 91 games. Their 2013 payroll was double their 2009 payroll, and they won one more game.

 

Sure the richer teams have an advantage, but it guarantees nothing. The reason the Brewers are in a less than ideal place on the win/talent curve currently isn't because they can't spend to bring in the best free agents, it's because they can't identify and develop young talent.

The Yankees had an 89 win season in 2008, won the World Series in 2009, lost in the ALCS in 2010, lost in the ALDS in 2011, lost in the ALCS in 2012 and had an 85 win season in 2013.

The Ray lost in the World Series in 2008, had an 84 win season in 2009, lost in the ALDS in 2010, lost in the ALDS in 2011, won 90 games in 2012 and lost in the ALDS in 2013.

 

Those are great stats to prove your point for sure but Tampa is the best run small market team in baseball and has constant turnover on their roster whereas the Yankees continually run out a perennial powerhouse with constants and influxes of talent because they can outbid everyone. Why should the Rays have to trade fan favorites like David Price and James Shields if the Yankees or Red Sox do not? Same for the Pirates, Royals, Indians, Orioles, Brewers, Twins, Padres, Rockies? If they aren't flawless in execution, their window is open briefly before it is shut whereas the mega markets windows are forever open. This is a fair system?

[BuckyBrewer61]

^^^^^

+1

 

It's not a matter of whether small market teams can compete or do compete. It's a matter of an even playing field for all competitors, and there is no question that the large market teams have a significant advantage when it comes to putting together competitive teams. Insurmountable? Of course not. But without question significant.

[sveumrules]

Here is a link to an article from the Hardball Times examining payroll and wins in the free agency era...

 

http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/money-and-wins/

 

There is a lot of information in there, but the take away is essentially this, "The current state of the game? Despite the outrageous spending ways of the Yankees, it's settled into a pattern that is more competitive than any previous time period, other than the years of collusion."

 

"The mega markets windows are open forever." This is just not true. How is the Philadelphia Phillies window looking currently? Or either of the Chicago teams? Or the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim California? Or the New York Mets?

 

"Why should the Rays have to trade fan favorites like David Price and James Shields if the Yankees or Red Sox do not?" That question assumes that signing players to free agent prices is a better move than trading them for younger, cost controlled talent. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. I'd rather have Wil Myers at reduced prices for 6 years than Shields at close to market rate for 3. I know I'm glad the Brewers weren't financially able to give Prince Fielder 9 years and 214 million dollars.

 

Being able to outspend your opposition is an advantage, I'm not denying that. All I'm saying is that the extent to which it is an advantage is way overblown. Saying "Milwaukee has zero competitive chance in MLB today" may well be a true statement, but if it is it has very little to do with their payroll/market size and much more to do with their inability to identify and develop young talent.

[brewcrewdue80]

The Yankees spent 229 million last year to miss the playoffs.

 

The Rays, Pirates and A's combined spent a total of 192 million and each made the playoffs.

 

Since the 2008 season the Yankees have spent approximately 1.269 BILLION dollars to win 564 games, most in MLB over that time. Tampa has won the second most games over that same time frame, 550, while only spending about 348 million in payroll.

 

The Rangers have spent 64, 92, 121 & 125 million the last 4 years. They have won 90, 96, 93 & 91 games. Their 2013 payroll was double their 2009 payroll, and they won one more game.

 

Sure the richer teams have an advantage, but it guarantees nothing. The reason the Brewers are in a less than ideal place on the win/talent curve currently isn't because they can't spend to bring in the best free agents, it's because they can't identify and develop young talent.

 

How does the Rays' payroll look next season? The Pirates Payroll this season/next season? The key with those two teams was hitting on draft picks recently that joined their teams who haven't gotten expensive. And with the A's, Beane trades so often it works. But truthfully, the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers today their spending nets them 85wins+ without a blink of the eye in development. Any kind of developed player that joins their teams from their prospect ranks can make them 100win threat teams. That's where it's going so wrong competive balance. Yeah the Yankees haven't done much with their drafts. But let's see what happens in the next 4 years after what I believe was a strong 2013 draft class.

[monty57]

Baseball makes the most money when the big market teams are good, so things aren't going to change. Complaining isn't going to do anything, so as fans we can either watch the games knowing there is an uneven playing field, or we can stop watching the games. If enough fans stop watching, then maybe something would be done about it.

 

However, the Brewers can do something. Teams like the Rays, A's and Twins under Terry Ryan found a way to work the system in a way allowing them to remain competitive. Conversely, the Brewers decided to run their team like a big market team, which worked for a short while because they were coming off an extremely low payroll, so they were able to expand payroll at a time when they had some very good players coming up from the farm. This was easily recognizable as an unsustainable model. Like the continually successful small-market teams, they need to adopt a sustainable model.

 

Other than international free agents like Tanaka, the system as it is set up severely underpays players for the first 3-6 years of their MLB careers. It then overpays players who are past their prime. Shouldn't be too difficult to figure out where small market teams should look to find talent.