There was hope last weekend that two-way Japanese superstar Shohei Otani would be on his way to the major leagues after next season, but it may be time to pump the brakes on that optimism. Major league officials met with international scouting directors Tuesday and informed them that there will be no special treatment for Otani under the new collective bargaining agreement, reports FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (Twitter links). Thus, if the right-handed ace/left-handed hitter’s current team – the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters – does make him available to major league clubs after next season, the international rules included in the CBA will significantly limit his earning power.
As the CBA stipulates – and as Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan details – teams only have between $4.75MM to $5.75MM per year to spend on international free agents who are under 25. They can trade for up to 75 percent more spending room, meaning $8.3MM to $10MM is the most any club would be able to allocate to Otani. Moreover, Otani wouldn’t have the ability to become a major league free agent until he has six years of service time. That further takes away incentive for him to immigrate to the majors until at least after the 2019 season, when he’ll be 25.
Under the prior CBA, international restrictions would have only applied to Otani until he turned 23. His 23rd birthday is next July, meaning he could have been in position to sign a mega-deal a year from now had the previous rules stayed in place.
“Just when Otani was about to come over, they changed the rules” a major league scout who works in Japan told Jim Allen of Kyodo News.
Otani has garnered significant hype as a pitcher, even generating Noah Syndergaard comparisons, thanks in part to a fastball that can touch 102 mph on the radar gun. He dominated in Nippon Professional Baseball last season with a four-pitch mix, recording a 1.86 ERA, 11.2 K/9 and 3.87 K/BB in 140 innings. Otani broke out as a hitter, too, with a stellar .322/.416/.588 line and 22 home runs across 382 plate appearances. As a result, the NPB named him both the best pitcher and top hitter of the 2016 season. Now, to the chagrin of MLB fans, it seems Otani will remain a member of the NPB for at least three more seasons.
Why would the MLB do this. This will kill foreign players coming to play in the MLB.
Sucks for them, but the MLB will survive whether or not Otani and others choose to come over.
Just takes good talent away from coming over here. Wouldn’t you want the game to be more expanded.
Yes, and I don’t mean this isn’t a bummer. I’m just assuming that very good international talent will still come over and these new rules allows all teams the chance to get them. I’m looking at the competitive balance overall. Guys like Otani may be able to make more money where they are now, mlb probably needs to raise the amount teams can give, but I do like the cap.
As long as he stays healthy he’ll be on a major league roster in 36 months.
Why ? 80 mill for cashstealer, 65 mil for Olivia , 80 mil for moncada etc etc , while all others have to go thru the draft and don’t come close to seeing that money . It also gives smaller market clubs a chance to sign these guys as well
They did this for competitive balance so all teams have a shot at him. So you can’t have a team like the Red Sox with Moncada who just out spend everyone and get him. This is way better for baseball overall
No they didn’t lol they did it suppress Latin American bonuses/Cuban prospects lol. He’s not coming over when he can make more money in Japan. So not ever team has an opportunity for Otani.
And what do you think suppressing the Latin and Cuban bonuses does? It stops teams like the Red Sox from buying a player like Moncada. Red Sox, Dodgers, Cubs, etc have all gone way above their pool of money and just paid the tax. That cannot happen anymore. So yes, it gives every team a chance at signing any player younger than 25, which is good for the game.
I realize Otani will wait until 25 so he can get a bigger contact. I was just pointing out the new rules are good for the game. Everyone should be on an even playing field for international players. Made no sense for only the teams with the deepest pockets to get all the talent under the age of 25.
I think it would be funny if Latin American players started signing in Japan and Korea to play until they were 25. Didn’t adding Puerto Rico to the draft result in more players turning to other sports because the money was significantly less then before.
imo the Sox and any team should lose draft picks for spending 31 million plus another 31 million on a player under 23… glad they pushed it to 25..
Isnt PR US territory?
@chitownsox11
I couldn’t disagree more. If anything this helps high payroll clubs even more. Probably at most, he can make 7-8M if you trade for team’s slots. So realistically any team can meet this. But if you are a player, you’re going to try to maximize your earnings. The next best way to do this is through endorsements. To make the most from ads, he’d still want to go to a big market team, like the Yankees. Only difference is now, Yankees get him as cheap as a player who was just drafted and 6 years of control, and they take literally no risk in signing him. Best case scenario, he stays in Japan for 3 more years, which is disgusting. This rule is a disaster.
@chitownsox11. If you truely wanted to make more of a level playing field you would have given small market teams a bigger cap potential. It not realistic to think this levels the playing field. It’s also just a simpleton ideal to think it makes it an even playing field. This rule was simply just a ploy under the disguise. Regardless it doesn’t change the skew of international talent because most of these players sign regionally regardless or which ever academy their Buscones are associated with.
yes. this all day
It has nothing to do with competitive balance, and everything to do with salary suppression. ‘Competitive balance” is a very thinly veiled cover up for restricting market spending on players.
Because the owners cannot stop themselves from offering $68MM to Yasmani Tomas, $62MM to Hector Olivera, or $28MM to Alex Guerrero, so they needed to put it into the CBA.
Except all those players you mentioned would still be eligible to sign with any major league team.
because they would not have been considered amateurs.
Meanwhile in MLB, bit players are making over 13 MM per season.
I don’t know the entire details of the new CBA, but I’m almost wondering if there won’t be some loophole found. Is it forbidden to extend after they sign? Forfeit many years of international spending to sign ridiculously long contract? Probably way off, but it’s bad for the game him not being here asap.
It’s not forbidden but it flies in the face of the MLB who has to approve any extension. I don’t see him coming until he’s 25. There is no reason to now.
Absolutely. Hope he stays dominant and healthy until then. Will be fun to see what he can do in big leagues.
I like the new deal. How many Japanese players have come over here and really been worth the huge amounts of $$ teams have paid for them? Besides it only affects their initial contract. Once they are here and playing and they have their huge 10-win, 4.50 ERA season, they can cash in like the rest of them
Or he just stays in Japan and makes more money and then comes over at 25 and makes his 200-300 mill.
Tanaka and Darvish have worked out I’d say, unless you wanna count their injuries
Darvish and Tanaka were both 25 when they came over. The spending limitations we’re discussing wouldn’t have applied to them.
Most Japanese players were already over 25 when they came over, so the spending limitations wouldn’t have applied to many, if any, of them.
So Otani can make $8.5M to $10M on his deal for the first year? Can he go straight to arbitration after that? It would be in the best interest of a MLB club to try and sign him to an extension after that first year to avoid expensive arbitration if he’s producing. I could be wrong about everything I’ve ever said.
He can theoretically make that much money, but he won’t because it there’s a sniff he might be willing to come over teams are going to hold onto their bonuses for a year. It doesn’t work like that. It’s a minor league deal so he has no rights. He’d be subject to league min until super two or three years service time. Extensions would have to be approved by MLB. So someone would have to be brazen to sign him and he’d have to hope they extend him which they won’t because it won’t be approved and the signing team has no compelling reason to.
A team should just sign him to the maximum allowed and then the day after announce a large contract extension
Unlikely that the MLB will approve/ratify/sign it off.
Bad international move in my opinion. Basically says international players have less value. Why should they be limited/teams be limited in who could become a free agent. The way I figure is if they are over 20 they should be able to declare themselves a free agent regardless if they want to play in the MLB, they aren’t under a contract with their current team, and a MLB club is willing to sign them.
He could enroll in college for one year and enter draft. His earning power would be fast tracked after one year. Would also get a jump on learning English.
You can’t play a college sport after being a professional athlete. Against NCAA rules.
He wouldn’t do any of this but he could theoretically enroll in community college for a year and enter the draft.
He wouldn’t be able to play. He’s a professional athlete. As soon as you sign a contract to get paid and play a sport you cannot play that sport in college after the fact.
Why would he want to enter the draft? He’ll play 3 more years in Japan and then post and sign for 100M+.
Could he still come over this year under the old rules?
Players age 23 or older were exempt from the limitations. That’s why Lourdes Gourriel just waited until his 23rd birthday to sign. Now that age limit is 25.
I like the idea that it gives American kids a better chance to make rosters throughout baseball.
That has nothing to do with it.
Exactly. Players from abroad shouldn’t have an edge over the American players.
Lame.
Why not give American hitters 4 strikes to?
Why give a kid in Japan several million when a kid here is in double A making a small salary.
I’m saying it should be even.
Have to be able to sign a 23 or 24 year old to a major league contract if he’s good enough. Can a team give him the max bonus and then extend him after a few days on the 25 man roster in April?
He’s a rare case because he started so young in Japan. Most Japanese players are 25+ by the time they’re posted. This new CBA will delay him from coming over but most other Japanese/Korean players will not be effected.
teams only have between $4.75MM to $5.75MM per year to spend on international free agents who are under 25…………he won’t be a free agent, he will be posted