thawv

IF he goes back to the Angels, the whole wanting to play on a winning team was all a dog and pony show.

But if Chapman is longer than a year, he'll be blocking Shaw. With that said, I think Shaw is up this year some time.

Unless he's meeting with Ohtani, having a conflict of interest is just hard to believe. He didn't know the winter meetings were this week? I'd say Adkins is focused on Ohtani

I read this morning in an Athletic article the he call the team first, and told a select few reporters immediately after. I can't find it right now.

He told the team first in 2017, and then told a select few reporters.

I agree. With that said, teams may have an Ohtani budget, and a non Ohtani budget though. I'll use the Cubs as an example. They may choose to go to or past the 3rd CBT level if they sign O. Without him, they may not be willing to go past the 2nd. So it wouldn't surprise me if that extra money is just Ohtani money, and not used on other players. Or at least some of that money.

He is holding up teams. He's holding up are the teams visiting him in LA. The rest can move on with their business. That said, if he's made his choice, he should announce it so the 4 teams talking to him can build their team. But yes, this doesn't affect the other teams. It's not likely, but another thought is, if he picked his team and hasn't told them, they themselves may just decide to pull out and move on. That won't work for him. I think he tells them today or tomorrow.

He said that he may be wish washy or indecisive. And he very well may be. He was just showing an example of someone who has a hard time making a decision. Not comparing a hat to a life changing decision. Also, you can take it to the bank that Ohtani has all the information possible right now. He knows where he wants to play, and I'd expect it to be announced before the meeting start tonight, or during tonight's coverage.

Never heard of him! Enjoy my friend! It sucks that you have to drive back, instead of jagging around on your phone in the passenger seat

So you're not going to tell us who your'e going to see??

I don't think he cares either. And he owes nobody anything. But, I think that if he's made up his mind, the league would, and should tell him to announce it. Either way, Nez is not that guy. He'll tell the winning team and the media immediately, like he did in 2017.

He's holding up the market on the better FA's. If each team has 2 hours again to present their case, they should announce it before the meetings.

If it's true, that he's meeting with teams today in LA, it should be interesting again. This if from an article of how it went down in 2017 First, according to an executive involved in the process, teams had to drop their car service off at one entrance of Creative Artists Agency headquarters in Los Angeles. Later, another car would pick them up at a different entrance. In between, a staffer from the famed entertainment agency would escort the baseball executives into the building, up an elevator and sequester them in a private waiting room. Once one team finished its presentation, their officials were whisked out and the next team was brought to a different waiting room. Each of the seven team contingents were eventually led into an inner sanctum where Ohtani awaited them, dressed in a sports coat with agents flanking him on either side. Teams had two hours to present. Then they were brought down the elevator and ushered out of the building as discreetly as one of CAA’s celebrity clients seeking to avoid the paparazzi. “I got a kick out of that, because all the teams stayed at the same hotel, at this Intercontinental,” said an executive involved in the process. “It’s like this air of secrecy, then I roll into the hotel, and see (two other executives). “They were trying to control the whole thing. There was this effort made to make it this clandestine — nobody knows who’s here. And then we all had dinner at the same restaurant.”

I agree. I also think he's made up his mind already. Or at the very least, giving the other teams one last chance to change his mind.

This is likely all true. The Cubs best hope is that he's done with the city of Los Angeles. If he likes it there, no team has a legit chance. The money will be there. The city, the field, the experience, the fans, and everything non contract is going to have to be sold hard to land him.

That's the kind of "blow away" money I'm talking about. If every team is prepared to go in the 500 million ish range, that's not blow away money. But if one team goes to 580, now that's blow away money. I'm just thinking that the Dodgers are in the best position to do that. I really think that our best chance is that he wants to get out of LA, and start a new chapter in his life. A new revenue stream. A new fan base. A new field, and field experience. A more national following due to being in central time, and out of the WC time zone. But again, we don't know anything.

Most certainly! But will any of these teams go over "blow him away" money? THAT kind of money, I can only see the Dodgers doing. It's clear that the Cubs are "in it" for sure. That's not going to be that much of an issue in my opinion. I think that the best thing that can happen for the Cubs is that he's ready to move on from LA. Hopefully he feels like his time there has run it's course and he wants to enter a new, and different market. What better market than Chicago, the Cubs, and the whole new Wrigley experience? Maybe he'd like to be seen on TV during live games, instead of just highlights. People outside the west coast don't really watch games out there. The truth of the matter is, we have no idea what he's thinking. What he likes and doesn't like. If I had to guess, he's made up him mind already, and this weekend is just a dog and pony show.

Cubs can sell the same thing with winning their division for several years to come. Maybe living in LA is something he wants to get away from. All major cities have large Asian communities. We have no idea what he wants The assumption that he want's to stay in LA, is no different than making the assumption that he wants to leave LA. This isn't 2017. He just spent 6 years there, and we have no ideal if he likes it or not. Just playing devil's advocate. He may actually LOVE LA. I don't know. And neither do any fans.

This is a great post! Question. What if the Cubs pitch was fantastic, and the money wasn't enough? Let's say he wants Chicago, but they didn't offer enough money.

Interesting. Jed said a couple of weeks ago that he preferred the west coast. That and not having the DH was likely the reason they didn't land him in 2017. Back then, I also remembering reading and hearing that he will only sign with a west coast team. Oh well

I can't imagine being 14 hours or 18 hours away from a place that he doesn't really travel to very often, coming in to play here. The assumption that he wants to leave LA can also be assumed as much as the assumption that he wants to stay is assumed. I have never read anything about him not wanting to leave LA. Just like I've never read anything about he wanting to leave LA. Everything is speculation. The west coast was reportedly a requirement in 2017. It's reported that this time around, geography is no longer an issue. Jed seems to believe that if the west coast wasn't a requirement, and the NL had the DH, he very will may have signed with the Cubs. He no longer cares where he lives, and the NL has the DH.

I've read on here and on other pages that not having to leave LA is a positive thing when O makes his decision. Do we know this? Maybe he can't wait to get out of LA, and this is his chance. Not saying that's the case, but why assume that staying in LA is an advantage, and that he doesn't want to leave? It could also be assumed that he does not like LA, and can't wait to leave. Unless there's some concrete reports that he wants to stay in LA, I don't think it's an advantage or disadvantage to already be there.

You're probably right. But just on the surface, it's not available outside the Cubs territory.

Not to mention the 46% income tax, and 13% sales tax in Toronto. I would find it hard to believe that something like that doesn't come in to play while making a decision. Not matter how much a person makes.

As far as the Marquee network goes, how would Japan be able to subscribe to it? I thought it was an RSN, and only available for subscription the the Cubs TV territory. I live in Florida and can only get it because I have MLBTV. Maybe MLBTV is going to benefit from it, and not the Marquee network. If I'm wrong, please let me know.