Yusei Kikuchi

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

Translation sort of:

 

Yusei Kikuchi's agent, Scott Boras, said on Wednesday that the Japanese left-hander will meet with interested teams later this month in Los Angeles.

With the rumor he prefers to play on the West Coast, he is connected to the #Giants, #Padres, #Dodgers, #Angels and #Mariners.

Edited December 14, 2018 by Ace-Of-Diamonds

[kevinb]

#parents 

[Lou]

6 minutes ago, Ace-Of-Diamonds said:

As a rumor that he prefers to play in the West Coast, he is linked to #Giants, # Parents, #Dodgers, #Angels and #Mariners.

GO PARENTS!

[ukyah]

they did a fantastic job of informing us of information that has already been published approximately 500 times, but it was in portuguese so that's fresh.

[Docwaukee]

so if he plays in San Diego, he has to clean his room and eat his veggies?  

[Docwaukee]

1 minute ago, ukyah said:

they did a fantastic job of informing us of information that has already been published approximately 500 times, but it was in portuguese so that's fresh.

it's not news until reported by grand slam brasil.  

[eligrba]

Get ready for Yankee butthurt 2019!!

[Turd Ferguson]

43 minutes ago, Kevinb said:

#parents 

A padre is a father and a father is a parent. Duh.

Wake up sheeple!

[Vlad27Trout27]

For some reason, why do I believe that Dipoto will overpay for him.......

[Second Base]

5 hours ago, Dochalo said:

it's not news until reported by grand slam brasil.  

Or if it's on reddit. 

[jordan]

6 hours ago, Ace-Of-Diamonds said:

Translation sort of:

 

Yusei Kikuchi's agent, Scott Boras, said on Wednesday that the Japanese left-hander will meet with interested teams later this month in Los Angeles.

With the rumor he prefers to play on the West Coast, he is connected to the #Giants, #Padres, #Dodgers, #Angels and #Mariners.

This sounds eerily familiar. 

[Broad Street]

I wonder if Kodai Semga will ever make it over here. He's be a great bullpen piece, but I wouldn't want to pay a posting fee/all the other money on top of that for a bullpen piece.

[Lou]

Smegma?

[Hubs]

1 hour ago, Kody Mac said:

I wonder if Kodai Semga will ever make it over here. He's be a great bullpen piece, but I wouldn't want to pay a posting fee/all the other money on top of that for a bullpen piece.

They’ve changed it again to a % of the major league contract. A BP contract for a reliever would be at most $15-20 M, if he’s elite, which is like a 4-6 M posting fee.

[Second Base]

As I said before, this one looks like it's coming down to the Angels and Padres. 

The Mariners are doing whatever they can to cut payroll right now. The Dodgers had rumors that they intended to cut payroll, but if the news that they're in on Harper is true, then it looks like they'd have money to spend. However, the rotation is already looking pretty solid so he'd be bumping someone out that doesn't deserve to be bumped, so they're likely out. The Giants are rebuilding, so they're out. The A's lack the financial ability, so they're out.

This one should come down to the Angels and Padres.

Pros: Padres have a short term need, have former Japanese players in their front office. Kikuchi would be able to carve his own path there and would join Lucchesi atop their rotation. Still on the West Coast so some Japanese fans. One of the more exciting teams on the rise with a very deep and talented farm. Pitcher friendly park.

Cons: Padres aren't expected to compete in 2019, and 2020 looks iffy. 2021 for sure, he'll be on a winning team. They also don't have a ton of available funds, so if they do sign him, they probably won't be spending to supplement the roster. Poor defense behind him.

Pros: Angels have a short term and long term need. They have available funds to pay him and sign others. Strong Japanese contingent among fans. Shohei Ohtani comes from the same school and they're familiar from playing against one another in Japan. Strong defense to support him. Mike Trout. Team is already used to working with translator, Ippei. Team will be competitive in 2019, but 2020 and beyond the Angels figure to be a powerhouse.

Cons: If he's looking to pace his own way to stardom as many said of Ohtani, then he'd likely need to go elsewhere. Team does not have a good rapport with his agent Scott Boras, despite Boras owning season tickets behind homeplate. 

Personally, I think the Angels are heavy favorites, and they'll get him for 5 years, 60 million. 

[failos]

Hope he joins the Angels. No draft pick lost if we sign him.

[Docwaukee]

first contract japanese pitchers have a pretty solid success rate.  

I think 5/60 with an arb opt in is pretty accurate considering that he's entering his age 28 season.  We might even see a 4 yr term for him around 50m.  

this has to be our guy right now.  It would actually surprise me if we don't get him.  

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

3 hours ago, Second Base said:

he Mariners are doing whatever they can to cut payroll right now. The Dodgers had rumors that they intended to cut payroll, but if the news that they're in on Harper is true, then it looks like they'd have money to spend. However, the rotation is already looking pretty solid so he'd be bumping someone out that doesn't deserve to be bumped, so they're likely out. The Giants are rebuilding, so they're out. The A's lack the financial ability, so they're out.

 

I hope these rumors are wrong.

[Glen]

Eppler right now...

 

 

[WeaverFever]

If we don’t get him it would be massively disappointing. 

[eligrba]

4 minutes ago, WeaverFever said:

If we don’t get him it would be massively disappointing. 

Why?

The Angels have enough pitchers on the disabled list.

[Broad Street]

8 hours ago, Hubs said:

They’ve changed it again to a % of the major league contract. A BP contract for a reliever would be at most $15-20 M, if he’s elite, which is like a 4-6 M posting fee.

Oh nice

[Stradling]

16 minutes ago, eligrba said:

Why?

The Angels have enough pitchers on the disabled list.

 

[TroutField]

4 hours ago, Ace-Of-Diamonds said:

 

I hope these rumors are wrong.

Seem like legit sources to me...

[Second Base]

4 hours ago, Ace-Of-Diamonds said:

 

I hope these rumors are wrong.

I doubt they're wrong. Henry Schulman isn't as much of a clown as others, and he's very confident in his source. But personally, this tells me nothing other than Yusei Kikuchi isn't afraid to sign with the Giants, if they offer the most money. It makes sense. The Bay Area has a lot of Japanese, and I'm sure he'd be a huge draw. And the Giants really are a classy organization, top to bottom. It'd be a great situation for him. 

But there are a few factors indicating the Giants won't be strong players. Farhan Zaidi was hired on to oversee a rebuild that would completely restructure the organization. The Giants aren't competitive right now, already have a bloated payroll and aging roster, have no farm system and are in dire need of a rebuild. There's nothing wrong with that either. They took their shot and won three World Series, and now they're on the natural downslope coming off those. Last year they were a 200 million dollar losing team. Their current payroll is at 162. In three years prior, they kept it between 172-180, and that's where they're expected to return to in the initial phase of the rebuild. So the Giants have 10-20 million to work with, and a host of holes to fill on the roster, with a competitive window that's still at least four years away. 

So yes, SF can sign Kikuchi, but if he signed with them, he'd know going in that he's signing on for a rebuild and they won't be spending money to surround him with talent as much as they'll be slowly but surely developing it from the inside. 

The Angels on the other hand are in a situation where they need Kikuchi, have money to spend, a strong Japanese contingent and figure to begin their ascent up the MLB hierarchy in 2020. They have a very strong farm system with many young players making their way into the MLB roster in the next couple years, and have Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout.

I expect he'll be an Angel.