Mariners acquire 2B Dee Gordon

[Dave Saltzer]

1 minute ago, artesmustache said:

M's defense might be atrocious next year in Cruz is in outfield also

As a pitcher, an HR isn't the problem. It really doesn't shake a pitcher's confidence. It happens--it was a mistake pitch that a hitter got lucky on and crushed. They usually can shake of an HR very easily.

 

But . . . a shaky defense? That's a whole different problem. When that happens, a pitcher will invariably pitch tight and will try to overcompensate by trying to strike every batter out. That leads to a much more stressful game for the pitcher, and generally, a worse outcome. Pitchers have to have confidence in the defense of their team to pitch effectively. I don't see how this move helps that.

 

Had Dipoto signed Cain instead of trading for Gordon, that would have made a lot more sense because it would have improved the OF defense. As a pitcher, I would feel more calm and relaxed when giving up a fly ball that Cain would catch it, especially if Cruz is out there as well. If I were trying to impress Ohtani, I would have gone more for a move like that to show him that I'm serious about providing him the best environment in which to pitch and win games.

[ADHB]

What if the extra million wasn’t to offer Ohtani more but a fallback in case we don’t get him?

 

If we don’t sign him, we can cover Maitan’s bonus from this year’s pool and still have our entire allotment for next years’s crop of international FA. If we didn’t get the extra million, Maitan’s bonus has to come from next year’s pool which limits our options if we don’t get Ohtani.

[bloodbrother]

1 minute ago, ADHB said:

What if the extra million wasn’t to offer Ohtani more but a fallback in case we don’t get him?

 

If we don’t sign him, we can cover Maitan’s bonus from this year’s pool and still have our entire allotment for next years’s crop of international FA. If we didn’t get the extra million, Maitan’s bonus has to come from next year’s pool which limits our options if we don’t get Ohtani.

That's what I was thinking....though IDK if a team is allowed to do that or not

[vladdy#27]

3 minutes ago, artesmustache said:

whats interesting so far is none of the other suitors has jumped in to get more slot money. dipoto and eppler wouldn't be doing this if they weren't told to get more money. someone is getting played.

Texas is the only other club that can get more bonus money, and they previously had already had the most. The NL clubs are capped at 300k 

[Stradling]

They can’t do that.

[Dave Saltzer]

Just now, bloodbrother said:

That's what I was thinking....though IDK if a team is allowed to do that or not

I thought we had to designate where it came from the moment we made the trade. Maybe @Jeff Fletcher could verify that for us. I don't think it would make sense that we could sign someone if we didn't designate and demonstrate that we could sign them within our pool.

[totdprods]

6 minutes ago, Stradling said:

The deals absolutely had to be going on at the same time. 

Right - either Eppler and Dipoto were both responding to the same signal from Ohtani's agent, or possibly Minnesota even, or to each other. 

[Stradling]

@Scotty@AW, you’ve listed it a couple times, but can you post the rule that says how much bonus pool money teams can go out and acquire?

[ADHB]

1 minute ago, bloodbrother said:

That's what I was thinking....though IDK if a team is allowed to do that or not

For th Braves prospects, you can use either this year’s pool or next year’s. Up to you. You just can’t combine the two. The Maitan deal won’t be official until he takes his physical, which likely won’t be until Ohtani has already decided.

[krAbs]

Its impossible to tell what exactly is happening, but two fairly big moves have happened today, both by teams in the final 7 with Ohtani. Something is happening behind the scenes.

[T.G.]

The only thing that would make this more crazy would be if LeVar Ball was taking over the negotiations for Ohtani. 

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

11 minutes ago, Make Angels Great Again said:

Our defense is about 500 times better than Seattle's with Simmons and PTBNL up the middle, with Trout in CF, and GG in RF and an ok LF in Upton.

Upton was a GG finalist himself last season, but it was a bit of a surprise.

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

16 minutes ago, artesmustache said:

whats interesting so far is none of the other suitors has jumped in to get more slot money. dipoto and eppler wouldn't be doing this if they weren't told to get more money. someone is getting played.

They can't offer more than $300,000 because they exceeded their allotment last year. Even if they had $5M they still could only offer $300,000.

[VariousCrap]

This move definitely was done to "sweeten the pot" for Ohtani.  The move will be considered a good one if they get him.  Hopefully the Angels can respond and get some more money too.  If it comes down to Seattle and the Angels, an extra million is going to be tempting.

[Troll Daddy]

20 minutes ago, totdprods said:

Right - either Eppler and Dipoto were both responding to the same signal from Ohtani's agent, or possibly Minnesota even, or to each other. 

That’s doesn’t make sense unless you’re implying that the other 3 teams are officially out. Probably responding to each other more than likely.

 

[m0nkey]

23 minutes ago, Taylor said:

Posters on MarinersWin.com are calling him JeDi.

Are they butchering his last name and calling him DiPoto too?

[ettin]

16 minutes ago, Stradling said:

@Scotty@AW, you’ve listed it a couple times, but can you post the rule that says how much bonus pool money teams can go out and acquire?

 

Obviously another prospect like Pearson.

Also remember, per our handy-dandy Angelswin.com 2018 Primer Series article (Eppler's Strategy Part II), that the Angels can only acquire a maximum of 75% of their base pool money:

 

"Of course the Angels could simply go after the only two-way threat in free agency as it seems possible 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 they could potentially put him at 1B or in an OF utility role 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 new 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. Otani would be another example of a low-impact to team payroll, at least in the very near-term."

 

We have now acquired $2.2M, which means we can acquire no more than about $1.3M give or take, which means trading another prospect similar to Pearson to a club willing to part with that amount (likely $1M or $1.25M since bonus pool money must be traded in blocks of $250K or all of a team's remaining pool money one or the other).

[bloodbrother]

Now that the Angels don't need to worry about the Ohtani decision(he's going to the Mariners) They can turn their focus to other needs and get a head start there right before the winter meetings

 

[TroutAdell]

Maybe the Angels can trade Seattle all their International bonus money if they take Pujols’ entire contract back. Dipoto just might do it!

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

In exchange, the Twins sent international bonus pool money back to Seattle and Anaheim, $1 million apiece, which could be put towards paying Ohtani. The Mariners surrendered fifth-round college catcher David Banuelos in return—he was the best catcher in their farm system—and the Angels traded third-round outfielder Jacob Pearson, the fifth-best prospect in their system. The Twins still have $1.25 million in bonus pool money.

[Tank]

34 minutes ago, artesmustache said:

M's defense might be atrocious next year in Cruz is in outfield also

here's hoping Gulf becomes an outfield sponsor of the M's next season and for the foreseeable future.

[VariousCrap]

5 minutes ago, bloodbrother said:

Now that the Angels don't need to worry about the Ohtani decision(he's going to the Mariners) They can turn their focus to other needs and get a head start there right before the winter meetings

 

 

Did you take c.nt pills today or something???

[ukyah]

5 minutes ago, bloodbrother said:

Now that the Angels don't need to worry about the Ohtani decision(he's going to the Mariners) They can turn their focus to other needs and get a head start there right before the winter meetings

 

give it a rest already. saying the same stupid crap over and over again. 

[bloodbrother]

Just now, VariousCrap said:

 

Did you take cvnt pills today or something???

Just giving credit to Dipoto and the Mariners for landing Ohtani. They went all out and got it done congrats to them

[Dave Saltzer]

Okay, I'm going to through it out here for discussion. Let's assume the sticking point for trading with the Phillies for Hernandez was that they wanted Jam Jones and we wouldn't include him. Would you now trade Jam Jones and Chris Rodriguez to the Phillies for Hernandez and $750 k in international money? The Phillies have $900 k I think left, but can only trade international money in units of $250k. 

 

I think I would do that because as much as I believe in Jones, I think we need to solve 2B for a long time. Hernandez does that, establishes a leadoff hitter for us, and gives us solid defense up the middle. That wouldn't be a desperation move, IMHO, because it solves a true need for us with a legitimate solution (not like taking a CFer and putting him at 2B). Just posting for discussion.