MLB 2024

[Gaolee]

I suspect it would have taken way more money to get him to Toronto. 10 years / $700 million is nuts already. Imagine how much the Jays would have had to over-pay on top of that. Can’t build a team like that. Unless you’re the Dodgers, I guess They really need to hope for health though and for good player development down the roster. Stars and scrubs doesn’t win in baseball, even if the stars are Betts, Freemen, and Ohtani. You need good role players and competent depth around your stars. Otherwise they’ll just be like the Padres of last year. Fortunately for the Dodgers, they have a very good track record of drafting and developing talent. But this reduces the margin for error. They won’t be able to throw money around as easily to solve problems in future.

They seem to have an unlimited budget, so that means they aren't as constrained by that contract as all teams not named Dodgers or Yankees. But it may put a crimp in their style in time.

I thought Ohtani was already in his 30s. If he's 29, it isn't quite so insane, but I still think it's completely insane. It's only a matter of degree.

 

[Gaolee]

This is now starting to play out. I have a feeling the SFGiants didn't really want to sign Ohtani and I am glad they didn't. Still believing the team can build the backbone of their starters through the farm system and bolster it with a few signings. That involves a lot of patience from the fans and ownership and it gets frustrating. Hoping that their past method of signing other players off the scrap heap from other teams is in the past and that was just a stopgap measure.

I have the same hope for the Mariners. They have a good farm system now, especially when it comes to pitching. You can never have enough pitching, as all the Tommy John surgeries make clear. I hope Robbie Ray will be back this season and back in top form after his Tommy John. That's always a crap shoot.

 

[thisheregiraffe]

https://x.com/jeffpassan/status/1734344897606697220?s=46

Jeff Passan’s tweet:

Shohei Ohtani's $700 million contract calls for him to be paid only $2 million a year for the next 10 seasons, with $680 million deferred until the end of the deal, sources confirm to ESPN.

The CBT hit on the contract is going to be around $46 million, a huge discount for L.A.

Wow.

Obviously this guy’s off-the-field earnings from endorsements, etc. will be high enough that he can wait for the Dodgers to pay him later. But holy moly that is a lot of deferred money!

 

[buldog5151bass]

I'm sorry. That goes against the intent of the tax. The full value ($70 million each year) should be counted.

 

[yodedude2]

I'm sorry. That goes against the intent of the tax. The full value ($70 million each year) should be counted.

it's almost like ... cheating.

i'll see myself out ~

 

[thisheregiraffe]

You’ve gotta figure that this type of thing will be addressed in the next CBA. The league and at least some (or most?) owners probably do not want to leave a loophole like this open.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Never been addressed before, and has been used as a mechanism before. But certainly never to this level

 

[Karl_in_Chicago]

I'm sorry. That goes against the intent of the tax. The full value ($70 million each year) should be counted.

The NPV is used; that's fair, IMO.

 

[Gaolee]

The NPV is used; that's fair, IMO.

Who comes up with the discount rate?

 

[buldog5151bass]

NPV is about $46,000,000.

 

[Karl_in_Chicago]

Who comes up with the discount rate?

It's pegged to a federally published figure on interest rate, similar to how most annuities are calculated. It's spelled out in the T's & C's of the MLB CBA.

 

[Gaolee]

NPV is about $46,000,000.

For this season? The NPV will go up with time as the cash flows become present cash flows. I guess that is mañana in Dodger land.

 

[Gaolee]

We still don't know exactly when pitchers and catchers report, so no countdown yet. Mid February, so we know it's less than two months away.

 

[thisheregiraffe]

We still don't know exactly when pitchers and catchers report, so no countdown yet. Mid February, so we know it's less than two months away.

I’m excited to see which players arrive at Spring Training in the best shape of their life this year

 

[buldog5151bass]

I'm surprised that that are reducing the pitch clock time more. I actually thought they would add a few seconds while runners are on base.

 

[Karl_in_Chicago]

I'm surprised that that are reducing the pitch clock time more. I actually thought they would add a few seconds while runners are on base.

I would have thought after having achieved such a dramatic reduction in game times they'd let it set as-is for at least a year before tinkering with it more. It seems like this will just cause a jump in pitch clock violations which actually extend the time of the game. I must confess, though, that I went into the initial change a skeptic but quickly became a convert so I'll keep an open mind this time around . . . but it just smacks of fixing something they just fixed and doesn't (at least at the moment) need any more fixing. I admit I'm more interested in the widening of the 1st baseline runner's path; I have to believe that change is going to be paired with an increased emphasis for the umpires to call out anyone running inside (on the infield side) of the line. So maybe there's less guys on base for the pitcher to have to worry about the shot clock change!

 

[buldog5151bass]

I like the change re: running lane. The only possible time it could affect play is a bunt or short dropped pitch along the first bass side, and only a tiny bit. The old rule made it tough on umpires and players, with almost no benefit. Now the runner can rum straight to the base.

 

[thisheregiraffe]

Dodgers To Sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto To 12-Year Deal

For the second time this month, the Dodgers have made a record-setting free agent strike. Los Angeles is reportedly in agreement with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on a 12-year, $325MM contract. The deal, which is pending a physical, includes a $50MM signing bonus for the Wasserman client and does not contain any deferred money. It comes with a near-$51MM posting fee to the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball, bringing the overall commitment north of $375MM.

That is a lot of money and years for a dude who hasn’t proven himself yet in the MLB.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Between him and Ohtani, the Dodgers will market Japan aggressively, and will be making money.

 

[Karl_in_Chicago]

I like the change re: running lane. The only possible time it could affect play is a bunt or short dropped pitch along the first bass side, and only a tiny bit. The old rule made it tough on umpires and players, with almost no benefit. Now the runner can rum straight to the base.

I don't know that it was *hard* on the umpires, the rule was clear it just wasn't uniformly enforced. Now that it's been widened it only means anything IF it is enforced which is why I suspect there will be a big emphasis on it with a zero tolerance policy for anyone that strays. I was fine with the old rule and I'm OK with the new one, too.