The Official Hypothetical "Make Your Pitch to Ohtani" Thread

[Taylor]

6 minutes ago, Blarg said:

Yes, what is your proposal?

1,000 shares of Apple* stock

 

 

 

 

 

 

*The fruit, not the tech company

[Blarg]

Fuji apples, to be precise.

[m0nkey]

Cleanup crew went to work early I see

[Junkballer]

I would think that any Angels offer would have to come with a detailed outline of how they will be spending in the upcoming years.  There will have to be some guarantees that they will go past the luxury threshold in order to build a legitimate roster along with creating depth that doesn't require utilizing farm capital.  Barring such a commitment to going over the threshold to "get over the top" why wouldn't Ohtani see any offer as asking him to sign in blind faith that things will be different.

[Angelsjunky]

I'm honestly mixed. It is going to cost at least $50M a year, maybe as much as $60M, and over ten years. That would mean the Angels would be paying three players $125-135M in each of 2024-26, and two players $85-95M in 2027-30, all of whom will be in various stages of decline.

We've already learned the hard way how pooling the money at the top doesn't do wonders for the rest of the roster, generally leading to a "star(s) and scrubs" team. The majority of really good teams are more noted for their depth of talent than their mega-stars. In other words, it is probably more important to have no bad players than it is to have a couple great ones. Of course it doesn't have to be either/or, but investing that much money in 2-3 players makes it more difficult to maneuver.

On the other hand, investing that money in Ohtani likely means they'll go all-in over the next few years in an attempt to win while he and Trout are at least close to their primes (and in the hopes than Rendon has a good year).

In general, the Angels remain in the same pickle that they've been in for five plus years. They "can't" (or won't) scrap and rebuild like they really need to because of Trout etc, but they also don't seem to want to go balls deep on winning now.

So my pitch to Ohtani would be:

10/$550M, with a player opt out after three years. Plus, an assurance that the Angels will go over the luxury tax for the next three seasons in order to maximize the team's chances of reaching the playoffs.

But more than the money, I'd try to emphasize that Anaheim has been "home" and it will feel better winning with the Angels after all they've been through than just going to another franchise as a mercenary.

 

[Stradling]

I don’t think he’s getting $50 million or $60 million a year. I think it will be a long term deal, like the ones given the last couple of off seasons (12-14 years)and it’ll be in that $40-45 million range. I understand he’s amazing but I don’t see him getting $10-20 million more per season than Judge. I used Judge as the example because he’s the most recent big name high dollar, long term deal. I could be totally wrong. Who knows maybe the Mets give him 7 years and $420 million.  

[Stradling]

12 hours ago, Stradling said:

13 years $546 million. Opt out after year two. 

I would offer him the opt out after year two that way if Arte isn’t holding up his end of the bargain, Ohtani can up and leave.  It also gives Ohtani all of the power.  That being said, that contract is going to be brutal by year 5.  

[Chuck]

Dear Lord, I just got to this thread and what a disaster. 

I mean on one hand I'm glad some of the posts were hidden by our mods, especially @Taylor's, but on the other hand an entire back and forth discussion and banter on this topic has been removed. 

@m0nkey maybe we should start over? lol

[Don Gregory]

Get creative and offer two separate contracts - player contract and a personal services agreement which doesn't go against the cap.  In addition, and if feasible a percentage of the team.
If the Angels continue to decline in the standings you have to deal him but you have to get enough for him.  Do it with the understanding from the Ohtani camp that the Angels will attempt to re-sign him in 2024 and provide him with a much improved team and prospects for years to come.

[Stradling]

2 minutes ago, Don Gregory said:

Get creative and offer two separate contracts - player contract and a personal services agreement which doesn't go against the cap.  In addition, and if feasible a percentage of the team.
If the Angels continue to decline in the standings you have to deal him but you have to get enough for him.  Do it with the understanding from the Ohtani camp that the Angels will attempt to re-sign him in 2024 and provide him with a much improved team and prospects for years to come.

You can no longer do personal services contracts.  It ended right around the time the Angels gave one to Albert.

[Angels 1961]

2 hours ago, Blarg said:

Yes, what is your proposal?

I trade him reset this team after 8 straight losing seasons

[Chuck]

I'm saving my comments for the podcast, but check out Victor Rojas' take on this. Especially check out the comments and subtweets taking what he said out of context too. Nuts.

 

[Jay]

8 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

I'm saving my comments for the podcast

You're such a tease!

[Don Gregory]

41 minutes ago, Stradling said:

You can no longer do personal services contracts.  It ended right around the time the Angels gave one to Albert.

Crap... I didn't know that.  I guess, in addition, it would be a percentage of the team if MLB approves.  That's the only thing I would see that would separate the Angels from other teams - that is, if they don't offer the very same thing.

[Taylor]

58 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

Dear Lord, I just got to this thread and what a disaster. 

I mean on one hand I'm glad some of the posts were hidden by our mods, especially @Taylor's, but on the other hand an entire back and forth discussion and banter on this topic has been removed. 

@m0nkey maybe we should start over? lol

Hypothetically you could start over.

[Slegnaac]

8 minutes ago, Don Gregory said:

Crap... I didn't know that.  I guess, in addition, it would be a percentage of the team if MLB approves.  That's the only thing I would see that would separate the Angels from other teams - that is, if they don't offer the very same thing.

Percentage of the club is also not allowed.

[Slegnaac]

I think in addition to the salary you have to make a very lucrative signing bonus offer, along with some creative performance bonuses.

Throw in some exclusive use of the yacht. 

Edited July 8, 2023 by Slegnaac

[Don Gregory]

2 minutes ago, Slegnaac said:

Percentage of the club is also not allowed.

Well, if that's the case then Arte's going to have to pony a huge amount of money to keep the unicorn.  At this point and the way the team is playing during this current slide, they are better off trading him and Rendon for a package.  I'm sure the Angels will have to absorb some of the money just to get rid of Rendon.

[Blarg]

1 hour ago, Chuckster70 said:

Dear Lord, I just got to this thread and what a disaster. 

I mean on one hand I'm glad some of the posts were hidden by our mods, especially @Taylor's, but on the other hand an entire back and forth discussion and banter on this topic has been removed. 

@m0nkey maybe we should start over? lol

The thread is make your pitch for Ohtani, not make your bitch about each other. There is plenty of participation on a good topic theme. 

[Blarg]

1 hour ago, Angels 1961 said:

I trade him reset this team after 8 straight losing seasons

Sadly the return would not change the future of the team much, if any, when they cannot field their supposed regulars every season.

A reset would really have to include moving Rendon and Trout. Now convince Moreno his only returning top billing star is being fire saled and another big salary dump for oft injured Rendon is going to change the teams direction. I doubt that's going to work.

[Angels 1961]

Nobody really knows if return on Ohtani would help or not. I do know trade last year got halos Moniak and Maldonado halos got Sandoval. I'm not for a total reset but for trying to add some young players to put around Neto, O'Hoppe, Moniak and others. Keep Ohtani but he will not be in a halo uniform next year. The most talented player ever to play the game wants to play on the big stage. 

[Angels 1961]

12 minutes ago, Blarg said:

Sadly the return would not change the future of the team much, if any, when they cannot field their supposed regulars every season.

A reset would really have to include moving Rendon and Trout. Now convince Moreno his only returning top billing star is being fire saled and another big salary dump for oft injured Rendon is going to change the teams direction. I doubt that's going to work.

Rendon is not going anywhere sad to say. Trout most likely is not either.

[Stradling]

I think we overstate what we have in Moniak in the Syndergaard trade.  Sure we “won” the trade, but Moniak has played well in his role.  We got a strong side platoon guy that will be very batting average and power dependent.  He can’t hit lefties and he strikes out 12-13 times for every time he walks.  His slumps when they happen will be horrible.  

So when we try to look at what we got for Syndergaard, we got a 25 year old, former #1 overall pick that plays good defense and was hitting .129 in his major league career.  

[70runner]

The Trout hamate may have thrown a monkey wrench into the Ohtani calculations, on both sides.  For the Angels, does it make them more determined to long term Ohtani?  Does Ohtani believe a 32yr old Trout, coming off a serious injury, along with an oft injured Rendon help him attain post season glory?  I believe it's a yes/no.  The Angels will enthusiastically compete in the Ohtani sweepstakes, promising roster improvement likely with early opt out clause, but Ohtani will pursue greener post season pastures.   He recently turned 29 and his post season window is a likely factor in his calculations.

[AngelsMetsWS]

We fill the stadium every night you pitch with pretty Japanese girls that want to have your babies. 
Other places won’t have enough pretty Japanese girls to offer the same!