Yankees Sign Masahiro Tanaka

[jersey cubs fan]

Correct me if I"m wrong, but I thought the Yankees were at the point in luxury tax where either draft picks or draft budget was going to start being affected?

 

I didn't even know that was a thing. I thought the Yankees were at the point where multi-years of eclipsing the mark increased the additional penalty above the tax and they just wanted to restart that time frame.

[Tryptamine]

Correct me if I"m wrong, but I thought the Yankees were at the point in luxury tax where either draft picks or draft budget was going to start being affected?

 

I didn't even know that was a thing. I thought the Yankees were at the point where multi-years of eclipsing the mark increased the additional penalty above the tax and they just wanted to restart that time frame.

 

I remember hearing about it last year, but I'm currently searching for any reference to it now and coming up with nothing.

[Guest]

I've never heard of that as one of the penalties for the luxury tax.

[Guest]

@BenBadler: Japanese media reports say Rakuten is mulling over the new rules and discussing whether to post Tanaka. My sources think they'll post him.

[HoopsCubs]

Here's another way of looking at the Tanaka market. What if we compared each club's payroll at the beginning of the 2013 season (as a baseline) with their current obligations for 2014. By obligations, I am referring to players under contract only, and not those who are arbitration eligible.

 

For example, the Cubs' payroll in 2013 to start the season was $107M. Their current obligations for 2014 are $51M. If they were to spend at the same level as 2013, they would still have $56M of headroom (headroom defined as last year's payroll minus this year's obligations to date). Now, I know the assumption of having the ability to spend to last year's level will vary from team to team, but we need to draw the line somewhere. So, here are the teams that have $40M or more in "headroom":

 

$90M New York Yankees (if they don't adhere to the luxury tax limit)

$62M New York Mets

$56M Chicago Cubs

$55M Chicago White Sox

$51M New York Yankees (if they do adhere to their stated goal of staying under $189M)

$50M Seattle Mariners

$47M Baltimore Orioles

$45M Atlanta Braves

 

We've heard about the Yankees, Cubs and Mariners as being potential players. The Dodgers are a wild card - even though their current "headroom" is only $37M, they seem to spend at will.

 

But, let's not lose sight of the Mets, White Sox, Orioles or Braves here. They seem to have the financial flexibility to pull off a Tanaka signing though I don't see the Braves or White Sox as holding much appeal to the young Japanese kid.

 

The Mets might be lying there in the weeds ready to pull it off.

 

Hoops

[Boris]

I want this guy so [expletive] bad.

[Clem Fandango]

@BenBadler: Japanese media reports say Rakuten is mulling over the new rules and discussing whether to post Tanaka. My sources think they'll post him.

 

 

More noise about them possibly not posting him here:

 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/10084018/masahiro-tanaka-not-made-available-mlb-teams-rakuten-golden-eagles

 

Out of curiosity, if they don't post him what's stopping Tanaka from officially "retiring" from NPB and then entering MLB as a free agent?

[Tryptamine]

Likely some type of protocol written into every NPB player's contract.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

@BenBadler: Japanese media reports say Rakuten is mulling over the new rules and discussing whether to post Tanaka. My sources think they'll post him.

 

 

More noise about them possibly not posting him here:

 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/10084018/masahiro-tanaka-not-made-available-mlb-teams-rakuten-golden-eagles

 

Out of curiosity, if they don't post him what's stopping Tanaka from officially "retiring" from NPB and then entering MLB as a free agent?

 

I'm pretty sure MLB and NPB closed that loophole like a decade ago when some guys did it. Was Soriano one of them?

[KingCubsFan]

@BenBadler: Japanese media reports say Rakuten is mulling over the new rules and discussing whether to post Tanaka. My sources think they'll post him.

 

 

More noise about them possibly not posting him here:

 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/10084018/masahiro-tanaka-not-made-available-mlb-teams-rakuten-golden-eagles

 

Out of curiosity, if they don't post him what's stopping Tanaka from officially "retiring" from NPB and then entering MLB as a free agent?

 

I'm pretty sure MLB and NPB closed that loophole like a decade ago when some guys did it. Was Soriano one of them?

Yep. Nomo too.

[RynoRules]

From MLBTradeRumors.com:

 

Rakuten is "really balking at the $20MM posting fee," tweets Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker. A club executive indicated that the club plans to discuss the posting issue with Tanaka by next Tuesday, and says that "asking [Tanaka] to stick around will be the priority," according to a Yahoo! Japan article (in Japanese; quote via Newman).

[RammyFanny]

From MLBTradeRumors.com:

 

Rakuten is "really balking at the $20MM posting fee," tweets Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker. A club executive indicated that the club plans to discuss the posting issue with Tanaka by next Tuesday, and says that "asking [Tanaka] to stick around will be the priority," according to a Yahoo! Japan article (in Japanese; quote via Newman).

I'm sure Tanaka will be begging to be posted given him being able to make even more money after the recent agreement. Although it's still up to the club, technically.

[RynoRules]

From MLBTradeRumors.com:

 

Rakuten is "really balking at the $20MM posting fee," tweets Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker. A club executive indicated that the club plans to discuss the posting issue with Tanaka by next Tuesday, and says that "asking [Tanaka] to stick around will be the priority," according to a Yahoo! Japan article (in Japanese; quote via Newman).

I'm sure Tanaka will be begging to be posted given him being able to make even more money after the recent agreement. Although it's still up to the club, technically.

 

Would it be permissible for Tanaka to give a portion of his salary to Rakuten in order to bridge the posting fee gap?

[RammyFanny]

I'd imagine MLB would see that as circumventing the agreement (and would probably be even more strict since the rules just passed in order to set precedent). But who knows what could happen under the table.

[Guest]

I'm still deciding if Rakuten not posting Tanaka would be good or not. The Cubs' financial situation can only really be better next year, plus it drives up Shark's price. He's pretty much the last slam dunk addition you can make though, you'd hope that some trade targets that require taking on salary are still possible(Kemp?) if he is staying home.

[Clem Fandango]

If Rakuten doesn't post him then it sounds more like sour grapes rather than strategy.

[Guest]

If Rakuten doesn't post him then it sounds more like sour grapes rather than strategy.

 

The odds of not getting 20 million for him next season are pretty slim, so why not keep him for another year? This isn't their only chance to post him.

[Clem Fandango]

If Rakuten doesn't post him then it sounds more like sour grapes rather than strategy.

 

The odds of not getting 20 million for him next season are pretty slim, so why not keep him for another year? This isn't their only chance to post him.

 

Does anyone know how much revenue the team stands to lose if they post him?

[jersey cubs fan]

If Rakuten doesn't post him then it sounds more like sour grapes rather than strategy.

 

The odds of not getting 20 million for him next season are pretty slim, so why not keep him for another year? This isn't their only chance to post him.

$20m today is worth more than $20m next year. And the odds are far greater than "slim" that he suffers some sort of setback pitching in that league.

[SouthSideRyan]

If Rakuten doesn't post him then it sounds more like sour grapes rather than strategy.

 

The odds of not getting 20 million for him next season are pretty slim, so why not keep him for another year? This isn't their only chance to post him.

$20m today is worth more than $20m next year. And the odds are far greater than "slim" that he suffers some sort of setback pitching in that league.

 

A TJSd Tanaka might still get a 20M posting fee

[Clem Fandango]

Ben Badler of Baseball America reports that the Rakuten Golden Eagles will speak with Masahiro Tanaka about his desire to move to the MLB, and if he truly wants to do so they are expected to let him leave.

The Golden Eagles are understandably upset over the details of the rumored details of the new posting agreement which limits posting fees to a maximum of $20 million. However, if they choose to not post him this season, he could always spend the next two seasons in Japan and then leave on his own as a free agent without any money going to the team. It's likely that this issue will be resolved when the two sides meet in the coming days.

 

I can't see why he wouldn't want to. I hope this is the case.

[Radar3454]

Can you imagine the offers he would get as a FA in 2 years if he kept up at his current pace w/out injury?

[davell]

I'm still deciding if Rakuten not posting Tanaka would be good or not. The Cubs' financial situation can only really be better next year, plus it drives up Shark's price. He's pretty much the last slam dunk addition you can make though, you'd hope that some trade targets that require taking on salary are still possible(Kemp?) if he is staying home.

 

I'd rather see him posted now. If we can't afford a contract for him right now, with around 70 mill committed towards 2014, after arb raises, it's beyond sad. The Yankees, Dodgers, and Mariners appear to be our chief competitors, none of whom are great fits for Shark anyway(Mariners aren't giving up Walker for him), so Shark's market doesn't look like it'd be affected much, in my opinion.

[Bryants Disco Ball]

I'm still deciding if Rakuten not posting Tanaka would be good or not. The Cubs' financial situation can only really be better next year, plus it drives up Shark's price. He's pretty much the last slam dunk addition you can make though, you'd hope that some trade targets that require taking on salary are still possible(Kemp?) if he is staying home.

 

I'd rather see him posted now. If we can't afford a contract for him right now, with around 70 mill committed towards 2014, after arb raises, it's beyond sad. The Yankees, Dodgers, and Mariners appear to be our chief competitors, none of whom are great fits for Shark anyway(Mariners aren't giving up Walker for him), so Shark's market doesn't look like it'd be affected much, in my opinion.

 

Totally agree. This is the guy I want, and like you said, if we can't get him with our payroll being what it is right now, then that's really not good. These are the free agents that all teams, whether rebuilding or championship ready, should get.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/12/07/rakuten-golden-eagles-may-not-post-masahiro-tanaka-due-to-20-million-posting-fee-limit/

 

Unless they are posturing for some reason, seems like Tanaka's team is going to try to convince him to be cool with staying for another year, but if he insists on it, they'll post him.