Who is Otani?

[eligrba]

Did I miss the story about the Angels sending scouts to see this guy?  Seems like a player that could provide a shit load of help.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/report-yankees-cashman-flying-to-japan-to-watch-otani/ar-AAqUQf0?li=BBnba9I

 

[Stradling]

25 minutes ago, eligrba said:

Did I miss the story about the Angels sending scouts to see this guy?  Seems like a player that could provide a shit load of help.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/report-yankees-cashman-flying-to-japan-to-watch-otani/ar-AAqUQf0?li=BBnba9I

 

Well every team has been scouting the guy, but I haven't read an article about specifically the Angels.

[zenmaster]

This is the guy that could pitch and hit and people here were already coming up with plans how he could pitch one day and then be a position player the next 4. We are probably near the bottom of the list of teams that could possibly sign him. 

[ksangel]

The next Yankee superstar from Japan....

[AngelArcher]

Nothing to see here, move along. 

 

[UndertheHalo]

We only sign Japanese players who are older then 35.  

[moccasin]

I have seen him in Japan, and he is a freak of nature.

He throws 100 mph, and hits absolute bombs. He is the best pitcher and Japan, and also the best hitter.

But he isn't as great of a pitcher as Darvish, and as a hitter, he isn't as great of a hitter as Matsui.

He is still very young, and in my opinion, a better hitter than pitcher.

[nando714]

23 minutes ago, UndertheHalo said:

We only sign Japanese players who are older then 35.  

[gotbeer]

Looking at his stats this season, seems like they are moving him more towards a hitter.  Only 1.1 IP this season and he was rocked.  Plus it looks like he was injured for most of the season and has not even played the field.  So, he looks to be a perfect fit for the Angels to throw money at.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=otani-000sho

[Sherlock31]

From what I heard this is the guy that thrown 102 mph in...high school..

[ettin]

Here is an excerpt from the 2018 Primer Series I am writing regarding Otani:

"Finally if you are looking for a two-way threat in free agency it seems likely that Japanese superstar Shohei Otani will be posted in the off-season. He has been called Japan's "Babe Ruth", throwing high-90's heat, even touching triple digits, with the lumber to match.

If the Angels somehow managed to acquire him it could potentially solve their LF need and fill a rotation spot all at the same time. It's a long shot, however, because the Angels have spent roughly $3M-$4M of their $4.75M International Bonus pool. The rules allow the Angels to acquire an additional 75% of their pool base (no more than $3.5625M) but unless they trade for more pool money, to hit their maximum cap of $4.3125M-$5.3125M, between now and the time Otani signs it's probably a no-go."

 

The bottom line is this: The Angels, with their current International bonus pool money, can only offer him about $750K - $1.75M. If they obtain additional bonus pool money early in the off-season they could bring that up to a maximum of about $4.3125M - $5.3125M as indicated above. Otani will receive no more than about $5M or so from ANY team due to the International signing bonus restrictions so he may be willing to accept virtually any offer since the money is not the deal-maker for him overall. Additionally I am sure that any team could arrange to offer him a contract a year or so AFTER he signs to extend him for a serious amount of cash. In the end I think Otani can choose where he wants to go and make arrangements outside of the initial bonus pool money he will receive to get paid in an extension contract later. This simply mean the Angels have about as remote a chance as any team but this is a long-shot. Otani would fill two holes for us though so it is something to monitor but not get too excited about. Our biggest selling point is playing next to Mike Trout which may appeal to him.

[IIIII]

Who is Otani? Probably the most hyped foreign prospect of all time. Ichiro is the only other player that garnered this much attention. He is about as much of a sure thing as there ever has been in the sport. The only question is will he demand to hit on his off days. If so I could see him being a DH in the AL.

 

Also don't even think about him on the Angels in now way will we ever afford him.

[Angel Oracle]

The Dogs have to be one of the favorites to sign Otani.   They, and maybe Seattle and the Skanks 

[ettin]

3 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

The Dogs have to be one of the favorites to sign Otani.   They, and maybe Seattle and the Skanks 

Also little known fact: Otani wears Darvish's number. I suspect any team that pays for Darvish might have an inside track on signing Otani but that is just speculation (maybe yet another reason the Dodgers picked Yu up at the deadline).

To me the Dodgers, Mariners, Rangers, Yankees and maybe the Red Sox are the primary five that have better chances than others. I'd put the Angels in the Top 10 simply because Otani is a very simple, quiet man who may enjoy playing on a team with Mike Trout next to him in the OF (or on the mound). From everything I've read Otani WANTS to play both ways (on the field and in the rotation) so AL teams might have a slight advantage but not a definitive one (again speculation but it makes a touch of sense).

[gurn67]

Foreign born superstar who hasn't reached his prime yet? Sorry, Arte's not interested.