mk49
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Everything posted by mk49
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If Okamoto is 3yr, $45M or less, it would be worth it for the Cubs. Supposedly, he can do 3B, 1B and outfield. I don't know how good he is as a defensive dude, but he could be our utility guy who can hit better than most utility guys, and he can do DH, if he can actually hit well. He got three gold gloves in Japan, but Seiya got more (maybe, 5 times?). So, I really don't know his defense. Okamoto fits way better than Murakami for the Cubs. Then, forget about Bregman, which doesn't make sense to me, unless they really want to trade Nico, or don't like Shaw. Then, they should have enough money to sign Imai or whoever like Valdez or Suarez.
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I thought the Cub's contract with Shota was about right. I thought the Red Sox or the Braves was trying to get him, too, and one of those teams was supposed to offer him a better deal. It's been 2 years, so I don't remember for sure. I was just reading about Yamamoto. He had the Japanese version of Cy Young 3 years in a row and was a MVP in those 3 years, which tied the record (as a pitcher) in Japan. Imai is nothing like that. I hope your "suspiciously quiet" thing leads to a cheaper than expected contract for Imai. BTW, I just watched Murakami's press conference. He said he talked to Seiya and Shota, after he signed. Hopefully, Imai has been talking to them. Either way, I want Imai to sign ASAP, so we don't need to talk and worry about this anymore.
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I heard Yamamoto was one of the best pitchers ever in Japan, and he was only 25. Only the Dodgers would do that kind of deal for somebody who never pitched in MLB. Shota took less money, because he liked the Cubs. Murakami isn't a pitcher, so it's different. That said, I kind of agree. I don't think he's gonna get $160+m. Maybe, 6yrs, $20m AAV.
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Interesting. Ohtani and Sasaki can reach 100mph. Yamamoto's fastest one was like 98. So, I assumed there were many NPB pitcher who could throw fast. At least, I didn't think the Imai's average 95mph was the 2nd hardest.
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Was Imai the 2nd hardest as a SP? Or, all the bullpen guys weren't that fast?
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If that's the case, the White Sox got a good deal. I just watched Locked on White Sox, and the guy was so excited, like it's a huge deal. That was kind of fun to watch.
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I don't know where it came from, but it's all over the place. I don't remember where I heard, but there was somebody on Youtube talking about it. His BA against 93+mph have been dropping for the last 3 years, and it was .095 last year.
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Yeah, hopefully, that's what's gonna happen. If we get Imai, that'd be great. If not, move on to the next target. I guess the same thing goes for Okamoto. I think his deadline is Jan 4th.
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If we don't get Imai, I would want Joe Ryan. But, I started thinking it's unrealistic.
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As I said, I don't know how they get the number, but my guess is only the last pitch counts.
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Maybe, it's not a stupid question (actually, a good question, I think), or I'm simply stupid, because I don't know exactly how they got the number.
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I remembered correctly. I just searched "munetaka murakami 93 mph batting average". And, found many sources said .095.
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If I remember correctly, his BA for 93+mph fastball was .095 last year + his K% was really high. I also heard he's a really bad defender, and most likely, he'll be a DH. For 2yr, $34m, that's cheap and short enough to gamble. He could either take that kind of contract, or go back to Japan. I wonder how Okamoto's contract will be. He's supposed to hit fastballs way better, much lower K rate, but less power than Murakami. Also, a better defender. So, Okamoto is a safer bet. Maybe, 3yr, $15m AAV?
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What about Murakami? I'm not saying the Cubs should sign him, but he has to sign within a few days. I haven't heard he visited some teams. I remember Shota said he asked Darvish about the Cubs, before he joined. Darvish told Shota good things about the team and the city, I guess. I would think Imai does/did the same thing, asking Shota and Seiya, even though he said he didn't want to ask other Japanese guys to get answers.
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Two weeks ago, I thought we had less than 5% chance of signing Imai. Now, a lot higher, more like 30~40%, but I try not to expect too much, because I don't want to be disappointed.
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I didn't know the KFC thing in Japan, but KFC must have done great marketing.
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Was he a Shota's teammate in Japan? I think Shota played for Yokohama. We needed a backup 1B, so I guess it's OK for the price.
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If Palencia becomes a good closer, that would be really nice. I'm hoping Hodge will bounce back, too.
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I like it, although he's getting old. I guess Pomeranz will be gone, then. If Hodge and Brown pitch better, we have enough BP guys, except for a true closer, which is hard to come by.
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His velo has already dropped. He's another lefty with not so fast fast ball, like we already have. He's a ground ball pitcher, unlike Shota, Boyd and Jamo, so it may work out OK. That said, I would pick Imai and King over Suarez. Better than Gallen, though.
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I agree 100%. There were a few Robert Suarez trade talk last winter. I wanted him, but not now. He's another guy who learned pitching in Japan. If I remember correctly, he played for 5 or 6yrs in Japan, before he joined the Padres. I don't know what it is, but NPB probably has something for pitchers. There are many good pitchers from Japan, but not many great fielders/batters. Seiya must be more than decent as a batter from Japan. I can only think Ichiro, Shohei and Matsui who were better.
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Yeah, Imai could cost $25m+ AAV. I like him, and I think he will be good, but at the same time, I think he's overrated, because of Yamamoto and in some degree, Shota. Those two came to MLB last year, and both pitched well for two seasons. Looking at Imai's stats from the last season, he's no where near Yamamoto in Japan, but better than Shota's last season in Japan. I hope the Cubs will sign Imai, though.
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That's $1 ~ 2m AAV less than I thought he would get.
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I think Seiya's OBP went up in Aug and Sep, when he was struggling. The next season will be the last with this Cubs era. The core guys in the last few years were Dansby, Nico, Happ, Jamo, Seiya, Shota, Steele..... Most of them might be gone after the next season. I really like the current team, and they need to win next year.
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Most people are not like Shota. Shota took less money to sign with Chicago in 2023/2024, just because he liked Chicago and the Cubs. I think Boyd could have received a little better deal, but he signed with the Cubs early, because of the memory of his granddad.
