The Official 'TANAKA' Thread

[Angel Oracle]

There will always be another Japanese pitching sensation. Nomo, Irabu, Masuzaka, Kuroda, Iwakuma, Darvish and now Tanaka. The media is acting like this is a unique opportunity and to a certain extent it is. Give it another 2-3 years and another can't miss import will arrive.

Tanaka is good, but if the Angels miss this train, there are a few alternates or they can just wait for the next one, which shouldn't be long at all.

Agreed, IF the contract for Tanaka ends up being say $125 million plus the $20 million rights fee.

One question, how did Seattle luck into finding Iwakuma for such a reasonable original contract?

As I've said, Arte can NO LONGER ignore Far East baseball!

Edited January 19, 2014 by Angel Oracle

[Angel Oracle]

Uh..., that would mean you missed the Mike Trout of Japan by 2 picks and ended up with Nick Franklin.

Iwakuma fits that #25 pick scenario, as the M's signed him for peanuts compared to even Darvish's $50 million contract.

Iwakuma was just selected by MLB Network as one of its' top 10 MLB starters.

Edited January 19, 2014 by Angel Oracle

[Jimmag]

Think its time for plan B

[Blarg]

Yeah I know, I started it. I was replying to gotbeer's view on Harper, because quite a few folks tend to put Harper down as over-hyped simply because he hasn't been as good as Trout, which is like telling a woman she's ugly because she doesn't look like Emily Ratajkowski. Harper has been great for his age and is going to be an amazing player.

 

Well let's be honest AJ. Mike Trout looks sexier in a little black dress than Harper in an Olympic women's gymnast outfit. 

 

[Pbonetheman]

I thought that was dog the bounty hunter's wife

[Angelsjunky]

I can't un-see that, Eric.

[Angel Oracle]

When can we find the next Iwakuma (cheap and talented)?

[Blarg]

Why are you posting the same thing in multiple threads?

 

When can we find the next Iwakuma (cheap and talented)?

[seenoevil]

[Blarg]

I can't un-see that, Eric.

 

Maybe we need to start a new thread, Players Who Don't Look as Sexy as Mike Trout in a Dress.

 

First submission.

 

Edited January 19, 2014 by Eric Notti

[JAHV76]

Here's another one.

[Angel Oracle]

I'm just being as repetitive as Arte is in his having never brought a MLB player over from the Far East, and thus seemingly ignoring an important talent base.

Is Tanaka too overpriced? Likely

Can we still find less expensive talent over there like some other teams have? Also likely

Edited January 19, 2014 by Angel Oracle

[Docwaukee]

That's riceist.

fixed

[gotbeer]

Agreed, IF the contract for Tanaka ends up being say $125 million plus the $20 million rights fee.

One question, how did Seattle luck into finding Iwakuma for such a reasonable original contract?

As I've said, Arte can NO LONGER ignore Far East baseball!

 

If you look at Iwakuma's Japan stats.  Nothing really pops out.  

 

But the A's paid $19.1 million to sign him.  Couldn't, and traded the negotiating to the Mariners who were able to sign him.

[gotbeer]

Uh..., that would mean you missed the Mike Trout of Japan by 2 picks and ended up with Nick Franklin.

 

Dammit.  My mind isn't what it used to be.  Heck I can't remember what I ate this morning, so maybe I should get help.

[Jeff Fletcher]

Jeff Fletcher, any new info or thoughts on this?

If you follow me on twitter you'll have all I have as soon as I have it.

Nothing has changed as far as I know.

[Jeff Fletcher]

If you look at Iwakuma's Japan stats. Nothing really pops out.

But the A's paid $19.1 million to sign him. Couldn't, and traded the negotiating to the Mariners who were able to sign him.

Actually after the A's failed to sign him he went back and played another year in Japan and came back as a true free agent and signed with Mariners.

[Blarg]

Give him a break, Jeff, he can't even remember what he had for breakfast.

[Brent Maguire]

It looks like my prediction on when Tanaka would sign was way off. 

 

He's using this entire time period to figure out where to sign. And that's probably smart considering the price will probably just keep going up. 

[ukyah]

The trick isn't finding the next Bryce Harper.  It's finding the next Mike Trout.  

 

Tanaka is the next Bryce Harper.  A #1 pick.  The value is going to come when you scout the Asian leagues and find the #27 pick.  

 

this is silly. as if bryce harper isn't an amazing player that any team would love to have.

[gotbeer]

Actually after the A's failed to sign him he went back and played another year in Japan and came back as a true free agent and signed with Mariners.

 

Oh didn't know that.  the one article I glanced at made gave the impression that he was traded.  Rakuten can't catch a break.  lol

[gotbeer]

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/01/masahiro-tanaka-rumors-sunday-1.html

 

 

• Tanaka's decision should come Tuesday or Wednesday to allow time for further medical exams to take place prior to the Friday deadline, an AL scout tells David Kaplan of CSNChicago.com (via Twitter).

 

 

So for those of you wanting it to end.  It is near.  

 

 

Masahiro Tanaka will reportedly command a contract in the neighborhood of $120MM over six years (plus the expected $20MM posting fee) and is said to have received such an offer from the Diamondbacks. 

 

 

So Dbacks, Cubs, and White Sox seem to have made him offers.  

 

If it's true and he gets 6/$120+20.  I hope the Angels pass. 

[AngelsAndRamsFan]

• The Mariners may have been priced out of contention for Tanaka or the 25-year-old's interest in Seattle wasn’t as high as some thought, reports the Seattle Times' Geoff Baker. 

[Stradling]

So the Angels should offer a similar but smaller offer to see if he really wants to be all the way on the West Coast.

[Halos of Anaheim]

What happened to the Yankees?