OCT. 12: The Kyodo News reports that Otani underwent surgery without complication and is expected to require a rehabilitation period of about three months. He’ll spend the next two to three weeks rehabbing in a medical facility before moving his rehab to the Fighters’ minor league facilities. Per the report, Otani is still expected to move from NPB to MLB via the posting system this offseason.
OCT. 11: Japanese star Shohei Otani is slated to undergo ankle surgery later this week, as the Japan Times was among those to report. It will address an injury that occurred this time last year, but has evidently lingered to some extent.
Otani’s outlook does not figure to be impacted too much by the procedure, though it’ll add another layer of potential complexity as he ponders a move to the majors. Per the report, and via the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, he’ll undergo “keyhole surgery to treat a posterior impingement.”
With around three weeks until the start of the offseason, teams are preparing for a fascinating pursuit of Otani. The two-way star, who evidently hopes not only to pitch but also to spend some time hitting at the game’s highest level, is widely regarded as the best talent in the world not currently with an affiliated organization. He’s also still subject to MLB’s international bonus rules, drastically limiting his earning power and potentially opening the door to a variety of suitors that might not otherwise be able to afford him.
[Related: Scouting Shohei Otani]
The biggest mystery remains just what Otani himself will prioritize if he does indeed follow through with the strong suggestion that he’ll ask to be posted. But he’ll also now have to show some heath information to teams, especially after a thigh injury significantly limited him this season. The plot will thicken considerably if Otani’s reps attempt to discuss a potential future extension scenario with organizations, both due to the possible health considerations and the grey area in the rules governing this sort of transaction.
The timing for Otani to demand a posting seemed to be all wrong even before this surgery was announced. The posting request might be more tactical than real.
Wow.first.
I know he wants to come to the states but he also has to know that he can wait one more season and get healthy then really cash in. I think he stays in Japan another season.
he’s limited in what he can make due to the posting rules, so this year or next year still the same amount
He would have to wait two more seasons.
Thanks, thought it was only one more he had to do there
Wrong. He is limited for the next 2 seasons. Might as well go now.
He’s still going to make the same amount in his first year because no team is going to be unwilling to risk 4 mil on otani even if he is hurt and he’ll make the max either way
$4 million is a pittance compared to what Moncada ended up getting.
Score another win for MLB over MLBPA. This guy has gigantic potential and would score a huge contract on the free market. But artificial rules limit his earning power.–and he’s not even in the United States. There’s something wrong about that–and I say that as a good capitalist.
I’ll give it too them
MlbPa is getting too powerful
18.2 mil as a standard q/o?
Get out of here with that
There needs to be a solid balance between the two
How much did the Marlins just sell for? And it’s the players who are overpaid? Ok.
I say that as well comrade
Think you’re jumping the shark a bit man. MLB has one of the strongest unions. If you think this is BS then the way the NFL pays its players must infuriate you
There may be something wrong with it but you’re blaming the wrong people. Pro sports unions represent players playing in the league. They don’t represent amateurs or players playing in other leagues. The bonuses to draftees kept getting bigger and bigger. Teams were able to throw $62 million at Yoan Moncada.
Players became resentful. They had to work hard and play well to get paid but some of these guys were getting paid big money even though they never played at might not even become a regular. And the more money these players get the less there is for players playing. MLBPA has been willing to throw the rights of people they don’t represent away to give better rights to people they do. Of course it can also benefit the teams and I’m sure they want it. But it’s not all on them.
The Rehab Rangers still will sign him to a multi year deal
I heard its a minimally invasive procedure (Dallas Morning News). I dont believe it will make a huge impact on his market.
With the new int’l system, the cost of signing an amateur is considerably. Besides the cap, you cant go above it meaning there are no penalties making it less of a risk.
He can be posted, sign a 1 year deal for the required amount for a 23 year old international player, then sign a multi-million extension in his 2nd year.
He could but teams wouldnt have much incentive to do so. The only incentive would be to get him to sign with them, however that method would probably be deemed as circumvention.
If a team can have Otani at half a mil for 3 years, why blow a ton of money on him until he’s proven himself.
He actually can’t sign a one year deal. He can seek an extension at any point in his deal, but once he signs his first contact, he’ll be on the same six year calendar as everyone else beginning with his first day of MLB service time.
You contradict yourself. You say he should sign a 1-year deal and then reference his “2nd year”. There is no 2nd year in a 1-year deal.
As Pasquale Salvatore said, he’d still be under the same 6 years of team control just like any draftee.
Its not like a Japanese, Korean, or other foreign player has ever failed to produce at the major league level. Quick, someone sign him to a ridiculous contract, immediately.
Same could be said for literally any player regardless of race. Free agents bust all the time, probably more so than significant IFA’s
Well this is true of course, but in the case of pro players from Japan and Korea, the legitimate question is how their numbers will translate to MLB. Because they are already playing pro ball, they are more than prospects, and are paid far more than draftees or amateur free agents.
Not really. Draft picks don’t sign huge contracts. They’re under team control for 6 years and only sign for a bonus that is capped at a certain amount.
By the time they’re up for signing a big contract, they’ve already either proven themselves or not at that level of baseball in that league. Free agents have also either proven themselves or not in the league that they’re potentially getting a big contract from.
This is a completely unproven player (at the MLB level) potentially coming over and signing for hundreds of millions of dollars (before the new rules of course).
I don’t see him getting hundreds of millions under any set of rules. Pretty much you’ve stated the reasons why. This surgery only complicates matters.
If there was not this new cap he’d get upwards of 100 million
The Rangers will. They will sign anybody to a contract
Im just sad because an ankle injury history makes it now even less likely that a team trusts him to play both ways. I cant see any team allowing him to play in the field now.
Very minor ankle injury he played all yr with it and is just getting it repaired