Dec. 13: Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman were all present at Dodger Stadium yesterday for the team’s recruitment pitch to Yamamoto, per Fabian Ardaya and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Dorsey tweets that Will Smith, Yamamoto’s potential batterymate if he signs in Los Angeles, was also present.
Dec. 12: The Dodgers met with Yoshinobu Yamamoto today as the star right-hander continues his North American tour, reports Russell Dorsey of Bally Sports (on X). They’re the sixth team known to chat with the 25-year-old free agent.
Mets officials flew to Japan to speak with Yamamoto last week. The pitcher and his camp are now traveling around the U.S. and Canada as they interview with other teams in the mix. Yamamoto met with the Giants two days ago and the Yankees yesterday. He’ll chat with the Red Sox and Blue Jays later in the week.
After signing Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers are on the hunt for rotation help. L.A. has been linked to virtually every starting pitcher of note in free agency or trade. The Dodgers have Walker Buehler and Bobby Miller locked into two rotation spots. They figure to at least two starters to a middle to back end that includes Ryan Pepiot, Emmet Sheehan, Michael Grove and Ryan Yarbrough while Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May work back from surgery.
Yamamoto is widely viewed as the best remaining free agent. He is increasingly expected to command a contract approaching or exceeding $300MM, to say nothing of the posting fee an MLB team would owe to the Orix Buffaloes.
While Yamamoto is easily the top pitcher coming over from Japan this offseason, he’s not the only one. Left-hander Shota Imanaga, who turned 30 in September, was posted by the Yokohama BayStars. He’s coming off a 2.80 ERA with an excellent 29.2% strikeout rate over 148 innings. In an appearance on MLB Network this afternoon, Jon Morosi indicated the Dodgers had some level of interest in Imanaga. Teams like the Cubs, Mets, Red Sox and Tigers have also been tied to the southpaw at points this offseason.
Roster Resource calculates the Dodgers’ luxury tax number for 2024 just south of $220MM. That leaves them $17MM below the base threshold and well shy of their estimated $267MM CBT number from last season.
]insert Key & Peele forehead sweating gif[
Cue the Dodger eye roll at this point.
Funny, I did so right before I read your comment.
Oh no probably another Ohtani type of contract. Smh. Not that’s there’s anything wrong with that I guess.
Robby the robot approves apparently. Anything to help his large market masters.
Ohtani contract is reserved for Ohtani. He is the only player who has 30 to 50 million in annual endorsements. Regular players need to get paid ASAP.
Right, because no one can live on $2 million a year. The horrors of having so little money.
No, they don’t. Monty and Snell, just for the sake of discussion, have career earnings of $21M and $51M.
And Bobby Bonilla.
I don’t think you can do that in this instance, hard money has to go the Japan, that money can not be differed, far as I know.
Yeah, for the posting fee. But the rest of his contract has nothing to do with Japan lol
Signing for $2 mil a year.
There should be a rule of max percentage of salry deferral. 680 of 700 is rediculous.
Exactly. This is gonna allow the dodgers to stock pile free agents.
Dodgers.. Yankees.. Mets.. competitive balance is dead, and Manfred is celebrating.
Why just the Dodgers? It’s in the CBA – any team can do it.
The Dodgers shouldn’t be punished just because Pittsburgh and others pay their players in sandwiches.
Yeah, because there’s no difference between the revenues of those teams at all.
All teams have the ability to do what the Dodgers did.
Surejan
jasonthebuc; maybe not all the teams have the same deep pockets with the revenue stream that the bigger markets have, but they can certainly do more to put a competitive team on the field every season! A little easy & convenient for the small market teams to say “we just can’t spend like LA, NY, SF, Chicago, Boston, Atlanta.” And keep their profits high. So yeah, agree all the teams have the ability. Some more than others and maybe by design.
Regular Season Champs.
But these guys can do this because that is where their advertisement live and where they can influence people to spend money.. The rest of the country knows the value of money.
I’m a Dodgers fan. Yes all three have the money but look at how the NY teams tanked and LA got punked last year. You still have to play the games and a spunky fast team like AZ can still get there.
And if anyone can tell me why my stuff irritatingly posts twice, I’d love to know.
I think the Pirates are paying more for their players then the dodgers are paying for ohtani while he’s playing.
And if anyone can tell you why your stuff irritatingly posts twice, you’d love to know?
Scherzer did about half of his $250 million or so with the Nats.
I believe almost his entire 2019 salary was deferred in their championship season.
Scherzer complaints were nonexistent back in the day!
No they don’t at all, most teams don’t make the same amount of money, most owners aren’t worth 200 billion dollars either. There should be more rules to make the league more competitive, who wants to watch dodgers vs Pittsburgh right now?
The Dodgers were 4-3 against the Pirates in 2023. Improvement over their 2022 record of 1-5 against the Pirates. Payrolls don’t win games. You still have to show up and play the games.
cnbc.com/2012/04/03/The-10-Richest-MLB-Owners.html
Nutting and his family are worth 1.1 billion dollars. They can field a 200M team if they wanted and still make profit when you include all revenue. They don’t.
Mine does also, but then looks like the second one goes away after a while. I noticed this started after the site announced they fixed (?) some other issues. Back to the drawing board.
Is there any sort of level playing field? Can the pirates spend like the dodgers…. Yes or no?
Yes, the Pirates CAN spend like the dodgers. The owner just DOESN’T.
Fun fact: Dodgers owners aren’t even top five in rich owners.
How about can they spend that amount of money without going broke?
Yeah, because there’s no difference between the revenues of those teams at all.
====================================
Salaries matter. Deferrals do not. If you can afford to pay ERod $80M, for example, you can afford to defer the entire $80M.
They can field a 200M team if they wanted and still make profit when you include all revenue.
=======================
Nonsense.
In 2022, according to Forbes, Pitt made $64M with a payroll of $75M. If they spent another $125M, what happens to the net income of $75M?
hittingnull
Yes, the Pirates CAN spend like the dodgers. The owner just DOESN’T.
=========================
Nonsense. Do you really believe that the LAD revenue is same as the PT revenue?
No they can’t lol you telling me Pittsburgh has the revenue stream of the dodgers?
There is a rule in the collective bargaining agreement. It explicitly says that there is no limit to the deferral
Nah Giants made the same offer.
Tells you exactly what Shohei thinks of the Giants then.
Yeah that they’re a poorly run organization.
And Ohtani definitely knows what a poorly run organization looks like.
Not biased at all, streakingblue, I hate the pirates but man it would suck to be a fan of that team knowing they can’t be in on any of the big names year in and year out.
Idk what you do, but the cap has to come at some point because it’s just out of control. Whether legal or not, the spirit of the luxury tax has been completely dismantled
There should be a rule where whiney fans actually open up their mind instead of being closed minded to the reality that Ohtani wanted this, and is wanting to keep the Dodgers in position to keep winning by having more salary available.
Blue, I agree. It just sucks for the sport.
It fascinates me how literally every other team, fan, and official in MLB thinks the Ohtani deal is in bad faith, yet the Dodgers fans keep ranting about how right they are. Really shows what yall are made of
Ahh yes, if only those dumb fans would open their minds they would love the fact that the Dodgers get all the best players, don’t have to really pay much if a penalty to the CBT, and get to keep all their best prospects. You stupid fans, if only you were as smart as StreakingBlue, you would love the the fact that the big money teams can roll over the small market teams.
Yeah, we know that Ohtani wanted this. That’s completely irrelevant. People aren’t “whining” because they think Ohtani didn’t want this. They’re “whining” because the Dodgers have three of the best players in baseball and are going to add perhaps the best free agent pitcher now. Other teams would like a shot at getting some good players on their teams believe it or not. Wild, I know.
How does it suck for the sport any more than the revenue imbalance baked into the system? Ownership doesn’t care so what does it matter what we think?
The Giants offered him the same deal !!! Zaidi just said it today. Really shows what you are made of.
@Catuli Carl – every team does have a shot. It’s called free agency and trades. Everyone is playing by the same rules
@sirchaseph
Feel free to send along all those links of all those MLB teams/officials who think that the Ohtani deal is “in bad faith” (whatever that means). Meanwhile, it feels like we can chalk up all the fans’ reactions to something that rhymes with “power drapes”….
I’m sorry your team wasn’t the one for which the sport’s best player wanted to play, so much so that he was willing to do everything possible to ensure that that team would remain competitive throughout the balance of his playing career.
Which is to say:
Irrational posts such as yours say a lot more about you than about Dodgers fans…..
@Catuli Carl
So the other teams should definitely take their shots at getting some good players. Last I checked, there were LOTS still readily available.
If the Dodgers manage to sign Yamamoto, it will speak to a very specific strategy in which they signed the sport’s best player and his newly available, entering-his-prime countryman, a pairing which would almot certainly pump untold tens of millions of dollars in sponsorships and other revenue streams into their coffers, further offsetting the costs of the two players in question after the former player also insisted on a team-friendly deal that allows for maximum flexibility with regard to roster construction. If the plan works, it would be a competitive triumph–and a financial one, as well.
And most important, it would also be the culmination of an approach years in the making (which also explains the Dodgers’ non-activity a year ago), by a club patient and creative and motivated enough to perhaps pull it off.
But here’s the thing:
There are still DOZENS of free agents out there to sign–just as there were a year ago, when LA wasn’t in on any of them–so…what’s the issue here, again?
Links? Read the room, brother. And next time, just say “sour grapes”. Rhyming just makes your writing look contrived..
@sirchaseph
Thanks for the edit, champ. Means a lot, coming from someone who writes “yall” without irony.
Meanwhile, feel free to explain “in bad faith”; this, I can’t wait to read….
But that’s not because the Dodgers are unfair or because small markets…blah, blah, blah. It’s because players want to play in the biggest markets. LeBron wanted to play in LA, Freddie wanted to stay in Atlanta and his representation screwed up so the Dodgers swooped in, Boston didn’t think Mookie was worth the investment so the Dodgers made an offer and they accepted. The Pirates were great for decades because they drafted well. The Braves are great because they lock up their players ahead of time. The Reds have that opportunity as well if they strike quickly. The real problem you have is poorly-run franchises.
The public wants what the public gets!
Zaidi had to keep in the race, to save face, you think it makes it any better that another team was trying to do it? Everybody knew the Giants didn’t have a chance, it was baked before it even started. Glad the Giants made them pay. Exactly what I thought they would do. Now my problem is with the payroll tax dodging. He should be paying taxes on $46 million not on $2 million.
reneaguerra, had the Giants signed him, and deferred that much, it would be a huge issue also. Not sure that helps
CommentsSectionCommenter
“team-friendly deal that allows for maximum flexibility with regard to roster construction”
All this is completely to bypass the luxury tax, which is here for what reason exactly? They blew the door off that facade
Wild, I know.
========================
Where do the LAD rank in terms of total payroll?
You should be harping for a floor, they are the slackers!
Why any team can do what the Dodgers did. Plus it’s been reported that it was Ohtani’s idea.
This is the silliest defense of this, imho. No, any team can’t do this. Maybe 6 other teams could actually do this, and maybe 2 other teams could do it to the extent that the Dodgers/Ohtani did it. Only a select few teams have the capital and financial backing to pro-rate 3/4 of a billion dollars 20 years into the future.
Like…celebrate the offseason win all you want, but please spare us the contrived arguments that “aNyBoDy cAn Do ThIS sO y U sO mAd, lOsEr.”
Your attack is pretty silly too. We all know about the revenue imbalance in MLB, but this has nothing at all to do with deferred money. Any team can defer salary if the player agrees to it, and many do. This has been going on for decades, and now it’s suddenly bad for the game? That’s kind of a head scratcher to be honest.
Once again offered the same deal by at least 1 other team.
Envy. Very rich people and/or groups own these teams so while they all have the capital, they don’t have the brand.
The one somewhat balancing act to payroll disparity is supposed to be the CBT.
This move dodges the CBT, further widening the gap between a handful of rich teams and the rest of the league.
Creating even more competitive imbalance is bad for baseball.
@sirchaseph
It’s actually the opposite of what you’re saying if you understood basic finance. For starters more than six teams could afford a 10 years $460mm deal, which is really what this deal is, not $700mm due to the massive deferrals.
The deferrals lowers the overall financial burden to the team over the 20 year life of payments, so even more teams could “afford” to make such a deal as this is the deal Ohtani was pitching to all teams. That’s time value of money, and Ohtani is taking the hit.
And no you’re not going to be seeing these type of deals everywhere because Ohtani is a one off in a couple of ways. Yes, his endorsements are huge but also you’re never going to find many other players willing to take that much of a financial hit to win. Bryce Harper sure didn’t when Nationals offered him a contract that deferred $100mm. He chose a lower AAV contract with the Phillies, but much higher net present value than what the Nationals offered. No one is knocking him including me because that’s what 99%+ of MLB players would do.
You must be bald with all that head scratching.
We all know about the revenue imbalance in MLB, but this has nothing at all to do with deferred money.
==========================
You’re talking to people who have no idea of the numbers.
1-Deferrals are a non-issue. If Pitt decides to spend $300M on Yamamoto, they can defer the entire $300M.
2-I ask this question all the time, but the nimrods never answer. Where does LAD rank in the payrolls? Right now, they are #6. If they sign YY for even $30M, they will still only be $5, behind Philly.
@sirchase
Any team can defer money if a player agrees to it. It’s a legal strategy that both owners and players agreed to. Deferring money benefits the Dodgers and Ohtani. The Dodgers can go sign other needed players. Ohtani can now get paid the majority of his salary while not living in California if he chooses to do so, saving hundreds of millions in taxes.
This signing should be applauded, it’s nice to see an ownership group that wants to win and is willing to go out and make a deal that benefits both the player and organization. The owner is not stupid, baseball is a business and he believes he will make more money in this deal than he will pay.
Just because many owners/ ownership groups won’t do it doesn’t mean the Dodgers are “silly” because they did do it.
Sounds like sour grapes on your part.
What exactly makes it ridiculous in detail? Because in reality the Dodgers are not paying $700M. They ll be paying the $20M in total annual salary as long as funding the deferrals each year at time of deferral. Which I’m assuming is a total of $440M($44M/year). Which would equate to $68M in 10 years growing at a rate of 4%. Hence the luxury tax # of $46M annually.
The totals on the contract are inflated due to $ being accrued over time. The savings aren’t as great as they seem when being laid out in detail.
The most unfortunate part of this whole thing is how many national writers have been sensationalizing this when they know they reality and do not explain it.
@Tigers3232
Or worse, how many national writers (and frankly, interested/aggrieved/angry fans of other teams) do/could know this….and lean into the sensationalism anyway.
It’s almost as though folks don’t want to know the truth or that the truth wouldn’t allow them to indulge their lazy anger, even in a time when virtually all information is both free and instantly available.
Sadly I think that there are that many people out there who know that little about finance. Hence the crazy average consumer debt in our country.
I can’t help bit laugh every time I see comments regarding Bonilla. People act as though he received the greatest contract ever. When in reality had he collected the $6M initially and invested the entirety after taxes he’d be earning far more annually off of that $ and still have the principal plus all the other $ that had accrued upto that point.
In Bonilla’s defense though he had already made close to $50M at that point and he would not have to assume the risk on any investments. So it was a good hedge for financial security. But in reality these deferred contracts simply allow the clubs to pay a player much less.
The anger and sensationalism comes from the fact this openly makes a mockery of the CBT and proves just how easy it is for a handful of elite franchises to avoid it.
Nobody has ever deferred money on this scale and let’s be real only the big money clubs realistically will.
I’m in mortgage so I get the math. And I know that while the deferral is technically interest free there’s no way the number hits $700 million if it is actually paid out over 10 years.
If the contract was actually paid over 10 years Ohtani probably gets something like $55 million per. That number is $9 million over his current CBT hit and the Dodgers are repeat offenders so they probably get taxed at 75% of that figure.
So, basically this allows the team to dodge (pun intended) about $67 million in CBT over the 10 years. Not a small sum. But not nearly the sums I’ve seen in many publications.
The Dodgers are required starting two years from now to set aside the present value of the contract annually. It isn’t going to be stored in bundles of cash in a vault. So, here’s the math: $45m at 5% annually, compounded yearly for 10 years, equals $73m. This is how Ohtani will get paid ten years from now. And there’s no evidence that he was offered anything like $55m per. In fact it’s pretty clear that he wasn’t.
Hence my use of the term “probably.’ MLBTR’s estimates pegged him as exactly $55 million IF the contract was paid over 10 years.
You take more money when it is spread out.
My point is the folks acting like the Dodgers are avoiding CBT on $70 million per year are wrong as the overall value would’ve never approached $700 million if it was paid over 10 years.
But those saying this isn’t a tax dodging strategy are also wrong. It is probably about $65-$75 million in savings over the course of a decade.
As usual, the truth lies between the two factions with the loudest voices.
He wasn’t getting $55M from anybody, and this site predicted $44M. So he ended up very close to the best guess of what he’d get paid, only deferred for 10 years. The Dodgers CBT hit is what should be, and it was never going to be any higher, so it’s unclear to me what tax you think they avoided. In fact an argument can be made that they will pay more CBT in the end, both now and ten years from now. Now, because they can afford to sign other high-ticket players (the exact reason Ohtani says he took the deferral), and later when the bill comes due (though of course we don’t know what the rules will be by then).
That $55mm/year went bye bye when he got hurt last year. That injury meant no pitching for 2024 and more pitching uncertainty longer-term. $46mm/year more realistic.
You should have been in the players union negotiating that CBA then.
@ Michol
Ridiculous too!!
It will still hit them at some point, probably worse than now.
Cora: excellent point. This is the point all the naysayers are missing… while the LAD *may* benefit from Ohtani’s 2MM AAV to free up real cash (not CBT savings), they will end up paying it in 10 years. So, that real cash is not disappearing; rather it is simply being paid later.
Arguably, the later payment will be worse since they will be paying $68MM or whatever for a player who isn’t playing for them… for 10 years too.
And who knows how their farm system could be then… could be a big issue moving forward
@Yankee, they will not be paying $68M later. Ohtani will be collecting $68M later that will have been accruing for years. Teams are required to fund deferrals while the deferrals happen throughout the contract. Likewise Dodgers will never pay $700M total. Roughly $240M of it will be interest paid by whoever these deferred monies are invested with.
Ah, yes, Tigers that’s true. Good point. Either way they’re paying the money.
This is getting out of hand; now my wife wants to “defer” our sex life until 2036.
Mlb Fan, ask for a retroactive “signing bonus!”
Well, think of it as your body not being “taxed” until then.
She must have massive endorsements
@mlbfan;
Sorry bout your luck!
What is it that they say about going for the championship while your star is still on that rookie contract…
…never mind, that’s football. A “contact” sport.
I actually spit water out of my mouth reading this and had to dry my phone off. I appreciate comments like this lol
Trade her.
“Meeting with Dodgers (and a surprise drop-in from Shohei Ohtani) “
Evil Empire changing of the guards in process. Are they Evil Empire Deferred?
I’ve been saying it for years. The Dodgers are far more “Evil Empire” than the Yankees anymore.
Or, no one is evil. It’s just teams doing business.
They’ll look real evil when they have so many of these contracts built up that aren’t sustainable.
Cora, that would look stupid, not evil
More or less sarcasm on my end but you’re right
contracts built up that aren’t sustainable.
========================
What is more sustainable? Ohtani for $460M/10 or SD signing 3 guys to bib money contracts until age 40?
Winner, winner, chicken dinner.
What number will Yamamoto wear for the Dodgers?
He will wear #18, but I don’t think it will just be for the Dodgers. Players usually keep the same number all year, for all their opponents, especially when playing for the Yankees!
They are already very late to the game.
I’d think it comes down to the Mets and Dodgers for Yamamoto. The former will throw as much money possible, but you’d think the Dodgers should be favored for many reasons including better change of winning, favorable geography, and favorable lifestyle (bigger Japanese community, better restaurants, etc.).
Of course, I have no idea what exactly he values and his relationship with Ohtani, but you’d think the Dodgers should be favored. I would never count out SAC’s $$$ though. I’m sure the red carpet is out and vault ready to empty for Yamamoto.
More international people move to NYC then LA for the culture and lifestyle then LA. That’s why it’s twice the size. I don’t know where you think restaurants are better in LA.
L.A. is the second highest city in number of Japanese people residing there. Second only to Honolulu, and L.A.’s Japanese population is more than 3x NYC’s Japanese population.
Japanese people love to visit NYC, but if you ask them where they’d like to live I’m sure L.A. is a much popular answer. Much bigger Japanese communities, better access to Japanese restaurants/markets. NYC may have those ritzy glitzy high end sushi restaurants but L.A. has just as many of those and the breadth of Japanese restaurants much better than NYC, and I’ve lived in both places. 2.5x more Japanese restaurants in CA compared to NY.
I have no idea what Yamamoto values, and clearly not every Japanese player that has come over here values comfortable lifestyle. But if that is a factor I’d say L.A. has a clear edge.
Only if it wakes the sleeping Giants
Giants will match any offer made by Stevie or Guggenheim. It’s just gonna come down to where does he wanna play. He may actually want to be a New York Yankee, but I do suspect Steinbrunner will be the first of the four to blink on the size of the contract.
So, the Dodgers tell Yamamoto, We will sign you for 600 m over ten years and then defer 580M until you turn sixty-five. That gives us a 2M hit and it is still 600M, not this 480M propaganda. Who cares what the adjusted value of the money would be. The Dodgers still has to pay out 700 M from 2034 – 2045. What happens if the value increases, will the fans then say, oops, 700 M that is now worth a billion dollars isn’t really a billion dollars because the fans say so.
No, for many reasons. One, Yamamoto doesn’t have the endorsement power that Ohtani does. At least not now. So, he’s less likely to accept/offer up deferred money. Two, the Dodgers have deferred dollars to both Betts and Ohtani. Don’t think that they would want to add more $ in deferrals. So, nice try but quite illogical.
If $700 million is worth more than $700 million in 10 years, We have way more problems than a contract in baseball
What happens if the value increases,
==========================
It won’t if they don’t want it to. The basics are:
1-They pay $2M in 2025.
2-They owe $44M ($46M – $2M). They invest in a ten-year treasury. In ten years, that yields the $68M they still owe.
300 million dollars, with 260 million being deferred.
Not as of late, but once the Yankees got Soto, a lot of people went back to calling them The Evil Empire again. But if the Dodgers get Ohtani AND Yamamoto, I think we have a new villain in baseball.
Yankees earned that nickname by dominating the league for a decade.
Yes, Ruth and Gehrig were great.
How about for almost a century, with a few short breaks here and there.
@Huck Don’t remind me of those dark periods.
Most of us weren’t alive during those eras of the 1920’s to the 1960’s.
I had to grow up with their fans in the 60’s. It was tough being a Mets fan. But the decade ended well. :^)
Right @YBC, but there were few of them. You are blessed – you’ve enjoyed far more good ones than the rest of us.
@Huck Lol. I started following MLB during the Don Mattingly era in the mid 80s. They were awful then but I do appreciate how good we as fans have it.
The Yanks got that nickname because a massive Roid Sux fan complete with Roid Sux carpet in his office ran ESPN and had his network spew it.
I think it happened over Jose Contreras. The RS booked out every single hotel room in a Nicaraguan city where negotiations were being held with him. Yankees had to stay elsewhere. Yet they still lost him to the Yankees.
Yankees dominated but most of the players were homegrown if you’re referring to the 90’s and 00’s. Late 70’s and 80’s they definitely were evil.
@padam
I’m sorry, but they weren’t evil, they were more like comedy villains. For Billy Martin & George Steinbrenner see Laurel & Hardy, with a couple of more realistic fights.
They only won twice in 70’s & not at all in 80’s. It would have been a very interesting experience to work with them then…
Shohei could play in the same league as Rick Vaughn, and make a killing…. not the same with moto moto
Plus Urias and Bauer back on board!
*Cue the whining*
Cue all the ohtani contract cry babies
Done deal he’s a dodger just a formality to do all this visit stuff.
Queue the deluded dodger fans who can’t comprehend basic manipulation of taxes and payroll. The league put a kibosh on the dodgers taking on debt to fund their spending, so now they are deferring contracts instead. This is what happens when your team is owned by an investment firm with more money than God. Enjoy those ticket and concession prices, you’ll need a second mortgage to attend.
This guy must love taxes and tax season.
Boo hoo double those tissues
Found the homer
Queue the financially illiterate who know nothing of money growth, or MLB rules on funding deferrals.
Tigers3232;
Or how to work the system. Take advantage of the rules. Make them work for you. Some of the commenters better take a tax course or get a new tax accountant!
All this to get knocked out of the first round of the playoffs.
At least they’re trying?
Yes, that’s happened the past two years but they also made the World Series three out of the last 10 times. I’ll take that any day on any team. Winning or not.
Glad he decided to have his meeting after the signing was official, at this point just sign the contract already.
やあ、ジョーの時間だよ！
Joke’s on him – California will be under water in 2050 when he gets paid.
Uh no. You’re thinking of Florida with a high point of 342 feet. LA County alone gets up above 10k feet.
I come here for the geography lessons!
Jokes on both of you, the fog is coming and will engulf the world in 2029
What happens in 2032 when Godzilla comes did none of you think of that??
Well California is 75% of nothing but a litter box of a desert already with no water.
Just saw on Twitter Dodgers are “on the verge” of acquiring Tyler Glasnow and Manuel Margot.
Oh no not the 30 year old pitcher that has only made 20 plus starts in one season.
Now it’s being reported that the Dodgers are gonna get Glasnow and Arozarana from the Rays.
What! Who’s tweeting this?
I saw it in a discord post. But It’s from guy named Borna Narzari. However I am taking it with a grain a of salt. A literal single grain.
It hasn’t been post on here. I don’t believe it.
Well I certainly don’t doubt that it *could* happen. The Dodgers have already been rumored as a trade partner for the Rays. Guess we’ll have to see. Most likely there’s a trade if Yamamoto decides to go to New York.
Same source that had Ohtani on a flight to Toronto to sign his contract.
Well everyone is talking about a possible Dodgers-Rays deal now, including Rosenthal. So there’s definitely smoke and fire.
A rotation with Buehler, Glasgow, Yamamoto, Sheehan, and Miller would be one of the nost solid groups in baseball. Dodgers are trying to spend and get the pieces to win it all this year. Got to respect the effort after the playoff loss. They will be hard to beat next season if they acquire all the talent they are after
No, they are desperate to erase the stench of that asterisk “championship” a few years ago.
Sounds like someone’s team didn’t win.
Yeah the toughest run for any world series championship asterisk for the losers
Are you talking about the 2017 Astros or 2018 Red Sox?
Highway menace
I just saw your name on Wikipedia under the definition of “troll”
Hwm
“No, they are desperate to erase the stench of that asterisk “championship” a few years ago.”
Very very smart comment
What a terrible idea it was to win in 2020. I can’t believe they were the only team dumb enough to win the World Series that year.
Chokeshaw the closer. Hahaha
good thing we have a luxury tax so the league remains competitive and teams that pay $700MM for one star player are not able to afford any other free agents. Looking forward to the California clash between Dodgers and A’s next season.
Who is this player who will be paid $700M solely by a TEAM. Much of Ohtani’s contract($240M) will be paid through interest on base of deferred monies being invested, not by the Dodgers. Hence the luxury tax hit of $46M, that is what the Dodgers will be paying in reality, the rest will be income generated by interest.
I doubt he will be paid with money earned from interest. The whole point of the deferral is not to invest the millions saved to pay him a higher salary later – it is to have cash available now (not invested) in order to make the Dodgers more competitive.
If they were going to invest the money, they might as well just pay him now and be done with it…unless they believe they can outearn the projected interest…
@Nugget, doubt all you want there are rules in their CBA in regards to funding any deferred $.
It is not a choice of the Dodgers. Deferred $ is nothing new, so it has rules and stipulations. Did you think they just arbitrarily came up with the $46M AAV # for luxury tax purposes?
Small market fans lol.
It takes two teams to play a game. Two good teams to get attention.
At this rate the smaller market teams have no shot. Their local fans have no reason to buy in and support them.
A league of six big market teams doesn’t sound fun.
What a lot of people don’t realize is that a lot of the owners of small market teams are just as loaded as some of the big market teams. A lot of small market owners like to pocket all the money they get from the penalty taxes that big markets teams incur when going over the tax thresholds. MLB needs to get more owners in place who want to win and are willing to spend money to do it.
The only reason large market teams have this much money is there are enough suckers to rotate through the stands at $100+ per person for a full season. Smaller market teams sell out the same sized stadiums, but have to keep prices lower to do so. The only suckers in this scenario are the fans of large market teams who get hosed to see one game a year for the price as 3-4 games a year, elsewhere.
It’s really the TV money that separates the markets.
The Dodgers get a reported $344 million per year.
The Pirates get about $50 million per year.
The ticket and sponsorship revenue is also larger, but not $290 million larger.
Stupid statement.
I go to Yankee games.
Yankee tickets don’t cost $100.
Even if they did, what makes it a sucker bet? I spend my money as I see fit.
What is it that’s making you laugh out loud?
Ahh, we should all be fans of large market teams right? Doesn’t matter where we are born as long we can jump the bandwagon with the Dodgers. As a matter a fact we should all abandon ship and buy an Ohtani Jersey! MLB only needs to be four teams anyway.
300 million, all deferred, nothing but Kohls Cash for duration of contract.
You can get some nice under armour attire with kohls cash.
All payment deferred until the year 2112, when the meek have inherited the earth.
The Athletics?
WE ARE THE PRIESTS
“Attention all planets of the Solar Federation…”
The Jedi will be back in power by then.
Meeting with Babe Ruth, Cy Young, Ted Williams, Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMagio and signing them to lifetime contracts.
All deferred money of course. Pretty much signing anyone with a pulse and well without one as well.
It only makes sense that the Dodgers would certainly be the favorite to sign him. Thanks to Ohtani deferring money. Also it’s on the West Coast, and there’s already at least one Japanese player on the team.
Predicting a 250 year deal, 1 million per year.
THIS IS MY SURPRISED FACE
Sad.
He’ll get paid $400 million over 82 years with a CBT hit of negative $6 million.
Can they get an advance on that 6mil in equity though?
Well, for those who say that a limit on deferrals should happen. Then why don’t everyone stop watching games, going to games, buying clothes. Ultimately the mlb is banking on the average joe to just take it and run the game off money & business. But if 90 percent of fans were to quit supporting baseball. Then they wouldn’t have what they look at us as workers watching & paying. That’s how you cut down the spending if they aren’t going to do anything about it. Power is giving not earned. So the less you give the less they have power. Easy answer. 101.
I doubt there are many who would stop supporting the sport just because they’re upset about the salary structure of a player. Some may say they will, very few actually will. And those who do are probably flight risks for leaving the sport beforehand anyway for various reasons. I mean really, if it genuinely has that much impact on someone’s day, one has to question their priorities.
Does Shohei having deferred money affect my day? No. It’s entertainment, people. Get some perspective.
But you can choose what entertainment to watch. Go for a jog, watch a movie, a night with friends, nice alternatives to wasting time on a scripted outcome.
We all know it will be the Dodgers vs Yankees at the end. Outside of LA and NY it’s just ho hum.
Wait Texas and Arizona were int he World Series last season. The Yankees didn’t make the playoffs and the Dodgers, with our massive payroll, got swept. Stop crying and hope your team gets hot at the right time.
A lot of bitterness towards the Dodgers for doing what every single team is able and allowed to do.
Every team is allowed to steal signs or I should say was. You could camp out at second and relay signs to the hitter.
Accepted, yes. Respected, no. Borderline dirty, absolutely.
@towinagain
Wait.
The Dodgers’ deal with Ohtani is “borderline dirty”…?
That’s…quite something to think.
I believe you are dead wrong. It has always been a part of the game. Is stealing/reading a third base coaches signals cheating? But glancing back at a catcher’s signals is a no-no. Or used to be before the technical/automatic method was implemented. I like the unwritten rules! Makes the game unique!
Just like bat flipping, because that gets a very similar total of criticism to sign stealing, although it mostly just simply breaks the fragile egos of some pitchers, while sign stealing upsets the entire team.
So if the Padres signed him would Dodgers fans be complaining?
No, the Padres went on a spending spree last year and DOdgers fans weren’t complaining. In fact, we openly mocked them for overspending on Bogaerts.
That’s always the funny part. Teams with higher payrolls complaining about teams with lower payrolls, that are managed better,
Dodgers could definitely use Yamamoto and Wacha. Possibly a trade for Glasnow or Cease as well. Team will want to make a great first impression for Shohei.
Why not just send all the best players to the Dodgers? Would be so “good for baseball.”
Small market team owners agreed to the cba go whine to them
True, but they won’t change anything. Outside the bubbles in LA and NY, nobody cares.
That’s one of the major problems. Most of the national baseball media are New York and LA fanboys. They tout these deals as fantastic for the game and everyone falls in line. Even Chris Russo did a complete 180 yesterday after his over lords probably told him the Yankees were planning the same contract with Soto. I get the point of deferred money for small/ mid market teams but it certainly wasn’t set up for the richest franchises to manipulate a way to add two more 30 million dollar players to their already stacked teams.
it certainly wasn’t set up for the richest franchises to manipulate a way to add two more 30 million dollar players to their already stacked teams.
==============================
Even if they add YY for $30M, their payroll be lower than the NYY, NYM, Atl, and Philly.
An easy deflection to use, and a massive assumption to make that these vocal people only whine on message boards. Half the comments on any small or mid-market team’s media feeds are about how their owners need to sell the team to someone who cares, or how Player X needs to get shipped off to North Korea to make room for Player Y.
Just because a fan’s team owner(s) are functionally incapable of recognizing the impacts their decisions have on the game doesn’t mean that fan’s thoughts on the matter are invalid.
dougdeb@
Just heard he got on a plane headed to KC!!!
Does Anthony Franco work for CNN? Dodgers are not 17m below the threshold. Stop spreading fake news!
You mean msm
You surely meant Fox News pertaining to the fake news.
They’re all trash.
The Dodgers have ruined baseball with their reckless spending. They should be barred from talking with any free agent for the next decade.
Go to bed crybaby
That’s rather juvenile.
Do all the fans and posters not understand that deferred money does not equal deferred salary cap. Even though $680mil is deferred, $46mil a year still counts against the Dodgers salary cap. Teams like deferred money for cash flow reasons so that they don’t run into times of the year where they have to pay out huge sums in bonuses. (Padres had to borrow cash to have cash flow this summer). Deferred money also accrues interest so its like a high yield savings account for the player. Ohtani makes $50mil on endorsements so he doesn’t need it in the short term. The Dodgers also make $334 mil a year from their TV contract so 1) they can afford their position and penalties and 2) by the time money is owed on the back end, they’ll be renegotiating their TV contract and it could go to $500mil+ by then.
We understand. Our contention is that the Dodgers should either have to sign him for $460M and take a $46M CBT hit or sign him for $700M and take a $70M CBT hit regardless of when the money actually changes hands. Especially because they are paying him $700M to play baseball for the next ten years, starting next year.
Not sure you do understand. The Dodgers aren’t paying him $700m to play baseball for the next ten years. For that they are paying him $20m. The rest they are paying him in the ten years afterwards to not play baseball. The difference makes all the difference.
Who cares when they pay him if it is counting towards the cap today and over the next 10 years. It gives them zero advantage from a competitive standpoint and only an advantage from an accounting perspective. The Mets are still paying Bonilla, the Reds are still paying Ken Griffey, the Nationals will be paying Strasburg forever.
It doesn’t really give them an advantage from an accounting standpoint. The rules require the present value to count against the CBT now the money will be the books and come due. What it gives them is more flexibility now.
Not sure you do understand.
==============
He doesn’t understand. And it is likely hopeless trying to explain.
Thanks DD. A few of the whiners have finally figured this out; but most have not. Amazing how people need to scapegoat and rationalize.
The fact that this has been done in the past, and in many cases by the same teams these people root for is irrelevant. People are jealous.
Right you are, because they think it’s fine if their favorite team or any other certain lesser marker does it, but if the Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox or really any other big market team does it, they get very flaky.
The Tigers can afford to and should out pay everyone to sign Yamamoto. And then next offseason pick up Soto in FA, and then comes the emergence of Max Clark and they are suddenly super competitive for many years to come.
Yes that wouldn’t make them super competitive for years to come.
I love your enthusiasm A7… keep the faith, seriously. Detroit has a rich and successful history in baseball. They WILL be back!!
Not a lot of players want to play in Detroit. Detroit is not a dream destination.
Dodger “fans” prepare for a magical 160-2 season. Then the injuries hit.
So, if the Dodgers get Yamamoto, do they dethrone the Yankees, and assume the role of “the evil empire”?
Lol you have to actually win something for people to bother nicknaming..
Kershaw is not even mentioned in Dodgers pitching rotation articles anymore. Wow.
Isn’t he out for most of the year?
Yes, Kershaw is out for 2024 after shoulder surgery…
I thought he was only out the first half?
Ted, No definitive answer. Kershaw “hopes” to return this Summer. I think he’s trying to keep positive.
Shoulders do not always cooperate
The guy is a free agent, and in rehab after surgery. He probably wants to spend as much time as he can with family, and not flying around recruiting players. He isn’t the type that likes to recruit anyway.
Angel fan here, so no warm fuzzy feelings for the Dodgers.
The Dodgers patiently calculated and executed a business plan to acquire Shohei.
This is an investment and not an expense, and all fits into of the Dodgers plan.
The Dodgers plan demonstrates how far better run they are than most teams. Especially the Angels I have to admit.
Don’t be surprised if that plan includes Yamamoto.
I still think the Dodgers have some holes and need some luck on their side to win a championship. Like any team really
Total silence on the Blake Snell front. That will change once Yamamoto signs.
Giants for Snell? Perhaps LAD if they miss on Yamamoto?
Snell isn’t the better pitcher. He only pitches 5 innings a game on average and barely has any longevity.
Wrong link for Will Smith there.
Someone is gonna get slapped for that.
Dodgers: Hey, we’re building a super team in hopes of winning the next 10 years of world series. We’re willing to pay you $500M over 10 years but $490M would need to be deferred until 2050. Are you interested in joining or will you be joining one of those teams that ultimately knocks us out of the first round, each year?
keep ruining baseball. Such a joke
Hahahaha
Robby the robot says it’s ok though.
Your team was in the World Series last year. WTF are you crying about?
He knows they are aren’t going back for the next 10 years.
Beep, beep beep. As the truck backs up. Get em all.
The Dodgers are going for the free agent jugular this offseason. They would absolutely kill it with Yamamoto joining Ohtani, something I fully expect now.
The Dodgers are loaded, and looking to add more top flight players. They also have what no other team has, Dave Roberts at the helm to screw it all up.
LOL! If I was Andrew Friedman. I’d insist Roberts stay home during the Yamamoto meet-and greet.
Please enlighten me. Why is he so unliked?
Friedman is disliked partly because some Dodger fans feel he has been at fault for all the early exits the Dodgers have endured in the playoffs for not acquiring the right players, much in the same way Brian Cashman is disliked for some of the moves he’s made. There is no shortage of second guessers around to express their ire.
At some point you aren’t second guessing, you are just looking at what happened. Roberts is there to play the Friedman game plan. That’s how he got his job, and how he keeps it. It’s the gripers about Roberts who aren’t making any sense.
Haven’t spent a lot of time here recently, or ever, for that matter, but what does the little gold badge by some of the commenter’s names signify? Some connection to MLBTRs perhaps?
Pathetic Dodgers wh**I go out their big three and Smith to buy yet another superstar to further ruin an already corrupt sport. Congrats, you’ll peer pressure Yamamoto into signing up for an easy ring with his fellow country mate.
Sucks to be you.
Signing doesn’t guarantee any ring. Dodgers have one ring in the past fifteen years and it has an asterisk to their name. Several years the Dodgers have been the best team but they won only once. Your point?
Teams should beat them at their own game. Even of Shohei has deferred money, they’re going to feel the heat of paymemt somewhere down the line.
Shohei was truly a risky trade and they’re stuck with him now. He probably pitches again but no one knows for sure.
No one knows what the hell you are saying.
Basically, the money will hit them at some point. It was a risky move to sign him that long at his sge.
Dodgers are dealing if they get both Glasnow and Yamamoto. I don’t think that happens, but who knows
There should be a new rule in the cba
If your teams fan base has 50.1% of its grown men crying, about other teams making moves that are available to any ballclub, you should forfeit your 1st round pick.
Ohtani probably hosted at his house a Japanese BBQ and slumber party for Yamamoto.
This won’t be a popular opinion…..but as a Yankees fan I’m saying no thank you to Yamo at the discussed price tag. Why? How many Smurf aces have there been in the last 30-40 years? Pedro and Maddux. Two all time greats…..but definitely two outliers.
If I’m Cashman…..who just lost what 8-10 pitching prospects in a WEEK…..I’m trading for Burnes & signing Monty.
Cole, Burns, Rodon, Monty and Nestor >> Cole, Yamo, Rodon, Nestor and Schmidt
A Rangers reliever is going to catch for the Dodgers if they sign Yamamoto?
Read a report Dodgers are linked to signing God and deferring 8 billion souls
Sign ’em for $350M and defer $349m of it and ten years from now we will have MLB teams payrolls having deferrals outpacing current players. amounts
If the Dodgers want to win, get rid of manager Dave Roberts who has really underachieved and bring in Buck Showalter who I believe is available.
Yes, he was the runner up to Ron Washington when the Angels needed a new manager.
He’s never won a World Series. How is he better than Robert’s.
Wonder how the Giants, D-Backs, and Padres feel, Dodgers reloaded and are now in beast mode. You can add the rest of the NL for that matter. They will not just be the favorites, but will be failures if they lose!
I’m just hoping there is something to the whole Masataka Yoshida/ Yoshinobu Yamamoto friendship story but (like most people) money is probably Yamamoto’s priority and who can blame him. The Red Sox have become notorious for bungling opportunities to sign/re-sign free agents so I doubt he ends up in Boston. Don’t know why he would want to pitch there anyways, there’s lots of other teams that are willing to pay for his services who have a legitimate shot at the World Series.