Ohtani to Dodgers for an ungodly amount of money

[imb]

I know this is easy to say at this point, but guys ... the best player in baseball is a free agent and the idea that he would sign with the cubs (THE CUBS) over 

The best team in baseball

With an unlimited budget

Who has actually cleared payroll for him already 

and they live right down the (very long) street from where he already resides

its disappointing but don't waste time being disappointed you didn't win the lottery.

[Jason Ross]

4 minutes ago, thawv said:

What happened???

I think it's blatantly obvious at this stage the Cubs are out on Ohtani.

[Tryptamine]

9 minutes ago, 1908_Cubs said:

I think it's blatantly obvious at this stage the Cubs are out on Ohtani.

I'd made peace with them being out on Ohtani/Soto/Yamamoto about a week ago. It's going to end up being pretty much what I thought it would be. Hoskins, Glasnow, Candy and some other 3rd tier guys.

Edited December 5, 2023 by Tryptamine

[WrigleyField 22]

2 minutes ago, imb said:

I know this is easy to say at this point, but guys ... the best player in baseball is a free agent and the idea that he would sign with the cubs (THE CUBS) over 

The best team in baseball

With an unlimited budget

Who has actually cleared payroll for him already 

and they live right down the (very long) street from where he already resides

its disappointing but don't waste time being disappointed you didn't win the lottery.

Stop sandbagging and enjoy hot stove season in all it's glory.  With the way MLB has gone this could be one of the few good ones left.

Edited December 5, 2023 by WrigleyField 22

[thawv]

4 minutes ago, 1908_Cubs said:

I think it's blatantly obvious at this stage the Cubs are out on Ohtani.

I'm remaining optimistic.  Because nobody has any legit or accurate information up to this point, the more I hear that they are out, the more I feel that they are getting stronger. 

[Thusly Boned]

Just now, thawv said:

If he's really a creature of habit, and doesn't like radical changes, why hasn't he already signed with the Dodgers or go back to the Angels?  Not challenging you at all, but up to this very moment, it doesn't seem important to him.  Nobody know what he wants.

Well yeah, it's all speculation (some more substantiated than the rest), like I said. But he and his agent have to do their due diligence to the process, at the very least just to maximize the deal he gets. There's a game to be played.

When looking at what is likely going to be the biggest contract in American sports history, you don't just take the quick out. Even if he had no intention whatsoever of leaving LA, he wasn't going to sign immediately.

[Jason Ross]

1 minute ago, username said:

LOL, no it's not.  

I've been pretty even keeled on it. But I think we've hit a tipping point here. In the matter of a very short time, we went from, basically, no Cub news, to:

1. Nightengale: Cubs have waned

2. Cubs and Reds still in on Glasnow

3. Cubs in on Hoskins per...a bunch of people

4. Rogers: Doesn't feel like they're signing him.

5. Rosenthal "in on an extent"

6. Counsell: Haven't met Ohtani

7. Robers: Have met Ohtani

I don't think the run on Cubs news not-pertaining to Ohtani is an accident here. I'll be happy to be wrong, but it feels kind of like things are lining up that, yes, the Cubs are pretty much on the periphery of Ohtani at this stage and are pivoting. I say this, again, as someone who really wants to be even keeled and not panic here, but this doesn't feel...accidental at this stage.

[imb]

this thing we do every offseason where we go "the reporters telling me what i want to believe are real and the ones telling me bad news are making it up" never fails to get a laugh.

[ILMindState]

1 minute ago, imb said:

this thing we do every offseason where we go "the reporters telling me what i want to believe are real and the ones telling me bad news are making it up" never fails to get a laugh.

Then when a player announces they sign with another team there's a bunch of accounts that have been around for years but only have 5 posts or freshly new made accounts that come in to bitch about how the Cubs were never serious and only did this for attention.

[WrigleyField 22]

2 minutes ago, imb said:

this thing we do every offseason where we go "the reporters telling me what i want to believe are real and the ones telling me bad news are making it up" never fails to get a laugh.

Okay but the Boob one is legit. If he told me Ohtani to Cubs was done I'd have major fatalism right now.

[Irrelevant Dude]

13 minutes ago, WrigleyField 22 said:

Stop sandbagging and enjoy hot stove season in all it's glory.  With the way MLB has gone this could be one of the few good ones left.

What does this mean?

[WrigleyField 22]

Just now, Irrelevant Dude said:

What does this mean?

I don't know, most offseasomss have been really slow moving and thus relatively boring.  Plus we'll never get a caliber of an Ohtani so there's less to be excited over ever again.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

10 minutes ago, imb said:

this thing we do every offseason where we go "the reporters telling me what i want to believe are real and the ones telling me bad news are making it up" never fails to get a laugh.

*taps the sign*

[thawv]

15 minutes ago, 1908_Cubs said:

I've been pretty even keeled on it. But I think we've hit a tipping point here. In the matter of a very short time, we went from, basically, no Cub news, to:

1. Nightengale: Cubs have waned

2. Cubs and Reds still in on Glasnow

3. Cubs in on Hoskins per...a bunch of people

4. Rogers: Doesn't feel like they're signing him.

5. Rosenthal "in on an extent"

6. Counsell: Haven't met Ohtani

7. Robers: Have met Ohtani

I don't think the run on Cubs news not-pertaining to Ohtani is an accident here. I'll be happy to be wrong, but it feels kind of like things are lining up that, yes, the Cubs are pretty much on the periphery of Ohtani at this stage and are pivoting. I say this, again, as someone who really wants to be even keeled and not panic here, but this doesn't feel...accidental at this stage.

I expect the Cubs to be in on several guys, before, during, and after they signed Ohtani.   I'm not saying that your logic doesn't makes sense.  I just believe zero of what I'm reading with this FA.  Zero.

[UMFan83]

13 minutes ago, username said:

It's going to take a whole lot more than Jesse Rogers and Bob Nightengale FEELING like it isn't going to happen to sway me.  And yes, I absolutely want Ohtani so I'm sure that's part of it, to imb's point.  

I mean yes, I am not completely shutting the door.  Rogers explained that he is hearing from low level Cubs staffers, but won't report anything formally until he hears from higher level execs.  Very possible the Cubs have an extremely small inner circle of FO people that are aware of whats going on.  But I'm also not expecting it to happen, partially because I never truly thought we'd get him for various reasons, but also because most of the smoke seems to be elsewhere.  Very unique FA pursuit though so who knows.

[Stratos]

The fact that multiple people are saying we're out on Ohtani plus right now hearing reports about specific details about Cubs interest in Glasnow and Hoskins is very good evidence that they're out on Ohtani.

Just accept it and move on folks. 

[Brian707]

29 minutes ago, username said:

It's going to take a whole lot more than Jesse Rogers and Bob Nightengale FEELING like it isn't going to happen to sway me.  And yes, I absolutely want Ohtani so I'm sure that's part of it, to imb's point.  

For me, following the Cubs for almost 40 years has swayed me not to get my hopes up. 

[JD94]

I’ve remained optimistic because of the fact that Ohtani wanted everything to remain quiet. Every negative report I’ve just shrugged it off as “yeah, but nobody actually knows anything because nobody is talking.”
 

Now that Roberts (the manager of a team that we KNOW is 100% still in it for Ohtani) admits they’ve met with Ohtani, I think that’s pretty much it. Maybe everything isn’t some great big secret like we were lead to believe originally. Maybe all the reports are correct. I’m starting to accept we aren’t getting him. Major letdown. 
 

I question where things went so wrong that we haven’t even had a face to face meeting with him? Granted it could have happened and just hasn’t been reported, but some sort of rumor has leaked for every team that’s in this thing that they’ve met with him, except for the Cubs. Either we are great at keeping secrets, or it never happened. 

[Stratos]

It's not even that big of a issue we're out on Ohtani.   He's a 4-6 WAR DH who is going to cost 55-60m in luxury tax room.  He was not going to earn this luxury tax salary next year.

We could sign e.g. Snell plus Bellinger + a solid pen arm for the same cost and be a better team next year.

Edited December 5, 2023 by Stratos

[UMFan83]

5 minutes ago, Stratos said:

The fact that multiple people are saying we're out on Ohtani plus right now hearing reports about specific details about Cubs interest in Glasnow and Hoskins is very good evidence that they're out on Ohtani.

Just accept it and move on folks. 

I disagree. I think those moves would both be on the table even if we got Ohtani and we've had rumored interest in both for week. Though yeah my hopes aren't high, just not necessarily because of that.

[Brian707]

3 minutes ago, JD94 said:

Either we are great at keeping secrets, or it never happened. 

Just my opinion, but I think it was, yet another dog and pony show by the Cubs, and they never were serious to begin with.

[Jason Ross]

2 minutes ago, Stratos said:

It's not even that big of a issue we're out on Ohtani.   He's a 4-6 WAR DH who is going to cost 55-60m in luxury tax room.  He was not going to earn this luxury tax salary next year.

We could sign e.g. Snell plus Bellinger + a solid pen arm for the same cost and be a better team next year.

Except that's three roster spots versus one. It's not just Ohtani vs those 3. It's Ohtani + the roster spot + the roster spot, as well. Secondly, there's the revenue he brings in which clearly offsets it. Ohtani also represents a TORP in 2025. It's like another free agent.

Missing on Ohtani is a massive deal. That doesn't mean I'm blaming the Cubs necessarily here. But let's not undersell just how impressively good this man is.

[bddavidson]

I think the frustration is now everyone who had been rumored to be "in", has had a confirmed meeting, except the Cubs.  That's the source of pessimism on my part.  

I'm definitely fine if they are sticking to the idea that he didn't want anything leaked so all lips are sealed, but I think it would be good to at least hear "yes, the Cubs met with Ohtani at Wrigley, LA or Mesa" etc...

[Jason Ross]

Bob, so take it how you please.

[17 Seconds]

bob says the cubs bowed out because 500 was too much