Yankees Sign Masahiro Tanaka

[jersey cubs fan]

but WHY is the posting fee not subject to the restrictions on the Cubs?

 

could there be some language that directly references player salary/player payroll?

 

Or could those restrictions be completely made up nonsense meant to hide the fact that they just don't want to pay high salaries right now?

[Guest]

i have no idea why the japanese clubs would agree to something like $20m when darvish just fetched upwards of $50m.

Maybe they also are putting in a floor for the lesser guys? I think the Brewers only paid like a $2 million posting fee for Aoki. Maybe the will make a minimum posting fee of like $5-10 million?

 

Or maybe the whole concept of a posting system could be worked around by MLB teams just signing those guys outright without paying NPB clubs any money at all.

 

Would we then have to worry about some cost controlled young MLB players getting signed to huge NPB contracts?

 

Like what if some team just decided to offer Trout $50M now?

[Guest]

but WHY is the posting fee not subject to the restrictions on the Cubs?

 

could there be some language that directly references player salary/player payroll?

 

Or could those restrictions be completely made up nonsense meant to hide the fact that they just don't want to pay high salaries right now?

 

That would be odd, considering the only sources mentioning those restrictions are the ones blasting ownership to begin with.

 

It's not like the team is out there (or even through the mouthpiece reporters like Kaplan) telling everyone that they can't spend.

[jersey cubs fan]

It's not like the team is out there (or even through the mouthpiece reporters like Kaplan) telling everyone that they can't spend.

 

What the what?

[davell]

No clue how the posting fee would be separate than anything else. It just doesn't make sense to me. Possible they had set aside a certain amount of renovation money that's going unused for another year, but still, that's a stretch.

[Sammy Sofa]

It's not like the team is out there (or even through the mouthpiece reporters like Kaplan) telling everyone that they can't spend.

 

Actually you've had people out there from the FO talking exactly about how they're dealing with financial limitations/restrictions.

[Guest]

It's not like the team is out there (or even through the mouthpiece reporters like Kaplan) telling everyone that they can't spend.

 

What the what?

 

They're saying it's part of the plan and they'll spend when the time is right. Hoyer said as much publicly a couple of weeks ago.

 

There's not some media campaign by the Cubs to make people think times are tough. It's only Wittenmyer and a couple others who have been bashing ownership saying otherwise.

 

Unless you're talking about the Wrigley stuff, which is totally separate from this talk of the team being too leveraged and being unable to operate at a loss and such.

[Guest]

It's not like the team is out there (or even through the mouthpiece reporters like Kaplan) telling everyone that they can't spend.

 

Actually you've had people out there from the FO talking exactly about how they're dealing with financial limitations/restrictions.

 

So you guys think they can spend but are choosing not to and sabotaging the MLB product and castrating attendance and Theo is out there complaining about it to pretend for some reason?

[Guest]

I tend to think it's the other way around. The talk that it's all part of the plan and that they'll spend when the time is right is a cover up for the fact that they can't and that they miscalculated the renovation stuff completely and the TV deal (the bubble and the ratings going south)...and probably didn't realize how much people would stop caring the worse the team got and now they're fucked. Edited December 4, 2013 by David

[jersey cubs fan]

It's not like the team is out there (or even through the mouthpiece reporters like Kaplan) telling everyone that they can't spend.

 

What the what?

 

They're saying it's part of the plan and they'll spend when the time is right. Hoyer said as much publicly a couple of weeks ago.

 

There's not some media campaign by the Cubs to make people think times are tough. It's only Wittenmyer and a couple others who have been bashing ownership saying otherwise.

 

Unless you're talking about the Wrigley stuff, which is totally separate from this talk of the team being too leveraged and being unable to operate at a loss and such.

 

That's an odd interpretation.

 

Obviously any talk of it not being the right time to spend is tied into the BS theory that there is some outside force causing them not to spend in the "immediate" aftermath of the sale.

 

There is a very clear media campaign by the Cubs to make people think times are tough, but they will be better later.

[Sammy Sofa]

It's not like the team is out there (or even through the mouthpiece reporters like Kaplan) telling everyone that they can't spend.

 

Actually you've had people out there from the FO talking exactly about how they're dealing with financial limitations/restrictions.

 

So you guys think they can spend but are choosing not to and sabotaging the MLB product and castrating attendance and Theo is out there complaining about it to pretend for some reason?

 

No, I think they're fucked. I'm disagreeing with your statement from a different standpoint than goony's, but it's sill faulty to say they haven't had anyone out there saying they can't spend.

[Guest]

It's not like the team is out there (or even through the mouthpiece reporters like Kaplan) telling everyone that they can't spend.

 

Actually you've had people out there from the FO talking exactly about how they're dealing with financial limitations/restrictions.

 

So you guys think they can spend but are choosing not to and sabotaging the MLB product and castrating attendance and Theo is out there complaining about it to pretend for some reason?

 

No, I think they're [expletive]. I'm disagreeing with your statement from a different standpoint than goony's, but it's sill faulty to say they haven't had anyone out there saying they can't spend.

 

Well, yeah. There have been some mixed signals but overall the PR message has seemed to be "we'll spend when the kids come up and the time is right" and that's what the team-friendly journalists have been pushing. I was actually surprised when Theo admitted that there were limitations, because since the dual fronts talk, that's the only time we've really heard anything resembling an admission from the team that they'd like to address the team with more spending but can't.

 

It's guys like Wittenmeyer who have been blasting ownership who have said that the team is so highly leveraged that they can't spend.

[Guest]

I don't believe the debt structure/ operating loss [expletive] for a second. I do believe that they paid too much for the Cubs and don't want to put anymore money in the team. I think they are raking in cash.

[Guest]

I think Theo has sold them on this business model and he's doing it his way to show he can.

[davell]

I don't believe the debt structure/ operating loss [expletive] for a second. I do believe that they paid too much for the Cubs and don't want to put anymore money in the team. I think they are raking in cash.

Of course they're making money. That has nothing to do with the debt structure stuff, which basically everyone has confirmed is an actual issue. Wittenmyer has been the most vocal, but everyone has mentioned it, even the pro-rebuild types.

[Gilby]

I tend to think it's the other way around. The talk that it's all part of the plan and that they'll spend when the time is right is a cover up for the fact that they can't and that they miscalculated the renovation stuff completely and the TV deal (the bubble and the ratings going south)...and probably didn't realize how much people would stop caring the worse the team got and now they're [expletive].

 

Yeah I agree with this. Not sure why Hoyer and Theo are saying different things though - maybe Theo is more comfortable with calling out his boss more so than Jed who is trying to be politically correct.

[Guest]

I don't believe the debt structure/ operating loss [expletive] for a second. I do believe that they paid too much for the Cubs and don't want to put anymore money in the team. I think they are raking in cash.

Of course they're making money. That has nothing to do with the debt structure stuff, which basically everyone has confirmed is an actual issue. Wittenmyer has been the most vocal, but everyone has mentioned it, even the pro-rebuild types.

Confirmed what? That they've been told by the Cubs it is an issue. If it were true I'm not sure how they'd be able to make any capital improvements.

[jersey cubs fan]

I don't believe the debt structure/ operating loss [expletive] for a second. I do believe that they paid too much for the Cubs and don't want to put anymore money in the team. I think they are raking in cash.

Of course they're making money. That has nothing to do with the debt structure stuff, which basically everyone has confirmed is an actual issue. Wittenmyer has been the most vocal, but everyone has mentioned it, even the pro-rebuild types.

 

You have a loose definition of the word "confirmed".

[davell]

I don't believe the debt structure/ operating loss [expletive] for a second. I do believe that they paid too much for the Cubs and don't want to put anymore money in the team. I think they are raking in cash.

Of course they're making money. That has nothing to do with the debt structure stuff, which basically everyone has confirmed is an actual issue. Wittenmyer has been the most vocal, but everyone has mentioned it, even the pro-rebuild types.

Confirmed what? That they've been told by the Cubs it is an issue. If it were true I'm not sure how they'd be able to make any capital improvements.

Honestly, there are plenty of articles around on here about it. If you think the Cubs are the ones talking about their woes, you've read none of them. Believe what you want.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

but WHY is the posting fee not subject to the restrictions on the Cubs?

 

could there be some language that directly references player salary/player payroll?

 

One of the commenters over at BN said something about how he worked with similar agreements and it wasn't completely uncommon for certain types of extraordinary expenses to be not counted when calculating compliance with debt covenants.

 

So it at least seems plausible.

[davell]

I don't believe the debt structure/ operating loss [expletive] for a second. I do believe that they paid too much for the Cubs and don't want to put anymore money in the team. I think they are raking in cash.

Of course they're making money. That has nothing to do with the debt structure stuff, which basically everyone has confirmed is an actual issue. Wittenmyer has been the most vocal, but everyone has mentioned it, even the pro-rebuild types.

 

You have a loose definition of the word "confirmed".

Has anyone from the Cubs came out and denied it? No? Oh OK then.

[jersey cubs fan]

I don't believe the debt structure/ operating loss [expletive] for a second. I do believe that they paid too much for the Cubs and don't want to put anymore money in the team. I think they are raking in cash.

Of course they're making money. That has nothing to do with the debt structure stuff, which basically everyone has confirmed is an actual issue. Wittenmyer has been the most vocal, but everyone has mentioned it, even the pro-rebuild types.

 

You have a loose definition of the word "confirmed".

Has anyone from the Cubs came out and denied it? No? Oh OK then.

 

Why would the Cubs deny the best excuse they have for not spending money?

[XZero771679666304]

I obviously don't know precisely what the financial constraints are or why they're there, but I definitely think many people prefer to believe the Rickettses are just being miserly because it makes them easier to vilify, and angry people like to cast blame.

 

As for the Tanaka/posting situation, I have no idea how this is going to turn out. If they try to set a bidding cap it creates some potential issues; if they set it too low, what incentive do NPB teams have to post their stars? What about when a glut of teams bid the max? I head someone suggest the cap be set at $20MM...at that price, many teams will be involved, and who knows if the Golden Eagles even deem it worth posting him.

 

But you think they have to try and implement some sort of balancing mechanism so smaller market teams can actually compete in the bidding process. Until some kind of agreement is reached on these issues, it's impossible to predict who's going to end up with him, or if he'll even be posted.

 

As fir the Cubs part, I won't be surprised if the Cubs either win the bid, or put in a weak, token bid. If we end up in a scenario where there is a cap or a similar scenario where multiple teams get to negotiate with him, I'm not sure that I like the Cubs' chances, even if they offer him the most.

[davell]

I don't believe the debt structure/ operating loss [expletive] for a second. I do believe that they paid too much for the Cubs and don't want to put anymore money in the team. I think they are raking in cash.

Of course they're making money. That has nothing to do with the debt structure stuff, which basically everyone has confirmed is an actual issue. Wittenmyer has been the most vocal, but everyone has mentioned it, even the pro-rebuild types.

 

You have a loose definition of the word "confirmed".

Has anyone from the Cubs came out and denied it? No? Oh OK then.

 

Why would the Cubs deny the best excuse they have for not spending money?

 

So you think every journalist that has written on this subject, citing sources all the way through(and not from the Cubs) are just making things up?

[jersey cubs fan]

So you think every journalist that has written on this subject, citing sources all the way through(and not from the Cubs) are just making things up?

 

Is that something sports writers never do?

Like any good BS story, there's probably some grain of truth. But none of these guys have provided an inkling of detail on the matter. None of these guys know what they are talking about, they just repeat "debt structure" issues. David Kaplan talking about a prospective buyer who thought "this was the most complex transaction he had ever seen" is full of [expletive].

 

The Cubs are pushing this storyline because they don't want to spend right now. They can blame it on the rooftops, aldermen, general bureaucracy as well as debt issues beyond their control. What it comes down to is the Cubs don't want to spend money right now, but it's bad for business to just say you don't want to spend money.

 

 

 

This is like crying corporate poverty 101 right here. The more issues you can throw out there to justify not spending, the better off you are.