MLB offseason thread

[LHG]

LOL. It’s funny that there was even a real dialogue about this. I guess SD was a dark horse, but he was always going to the Dodgers. Toronto was great as a “pretend” destination. Nobody really wants to play there.

When Sasaki first met with Wolfe about being posted.

Sasaki (through translator): "I want to sign with the Dodgers"

Wolfe: "Yeah, we've already got a verbal agreement in place. But we need to make this look like everyone had a chance. Now, you'll have to pretend to listen when the other 29 teams come to our office and pitch their teams. Just smile and nod. I'll tell the media that this isn't some sham circus we are running. No one will be the wiser. Just make sure you don't announce its the Dodgers on the first day possible. That will make people suspicious. We'll make it look like other teams are in the running and turning the screws on them while we slowly let it out who you will sign with. It will be great!"

 

[Shanemansj13]

Is anyone really surprised?

It’s a joke at this point

 

[calsnowskier]

It’s a joke at this point

So much worse than the Spanks of the ‘90s. The Spanks still had a kick-ass home grown core, and they still just outspent everyone because George WANTED to.

This is LA getting these players, not the Dodgers. And the doggies don’t have a homegrown core that is head and shoulders above everyone else. This is just everyone converging in LA. And they will be paid by outside sources (LA marketing) that other teams (Yanks, Mets, Angels and MAYBE Cubs and White Sox excluded) have no possible way to compete with.

I dont think there is a solution to this problem, though. I think the sport is just broken at this point.

 

[chappee11]

So much worse than the Spanks of the ‘90s. The Spanks still had a kick-ass home grown core, and they still just outspent everyone because George WANTED to.

This is LA getting these players, not the Dodgers. And the doggies don’t have a homegrown core that is head and shoulders above everyone else. This is just everyone converging in LA. And they will be paid by outside sources (LA marketing) that other teams (Yanks, Mets, Angels and MAYBE Cubs and White Sox excluded) have no possible way to compete with.

I dont think there is a solution to this problem, though. I think the sport is just broken at this point.

It speaks volumes that the Angels aren’t even in the conversation for Japanese talent at this point. They should have the same geographical advantage that the Dodgers do. At least on paper. But I bet all these guys want to play with Ohtani(and maybe Yamamoto) and build a Japanese super-team. This is something that might need to be addressed in the next CBA. This kind of talent used to get spread around(Ichiro, Darvish, Dice-K, Matsui etc…) and not concentrated on one team. It’s definitely bad for the game.

I also want to mention just how good the Dodgers’ farm system has been. Traditionally they’ve had a conveyor belt of talent heading to the Majors. They’ve developed the likes of Corey Seager, Bellinger, Buehler, Will Smith, Joe Pederson, Urias, May, Gonsolin & others while still having the prospects to trade for Betts, Scherzer, Trea Turner, Glasnow, Kopech and more. Meanwhile, they have been really good at finding diamonds in the rough like Justin Turner, Max Muncy, Chris Taylor(and others). This is simply one of the best-run organizations in the game. They don’t need to have all the Asian talent clamoring to play for them, as well.

 

[TheGoodMan19]

People blubbered about the post 2000 Yankees. Using cash or prospects to build an all star team. Clemens, RJ, Giambi, A-Rod, Mussina et al. Baseball survived. And, guess what, the Yanks won nada after 2000. Dodgers have won two rings, one the faux season of COVID

The league should stop the deferred contract nonsense. Dodgers got Ohtani for the price of a 9th inning defensive replacement. His contract should have crippled LA as far as the salary cap went.

 

[chappee11]

We may as well contract MLB to 6-8 teams, maybe?

 

[calsnowskier]

 

[Shanemansj13]

We may as well contract MLB to 6-8 teams, maybe?

It is only a matter of time before they have to make changes and it is pretty obvious. I mean you still have to play the games but at this point, LA has basically strengthened their All-Star team every single year for the past couple years

 

[chappee11]

People blubbered about the post 2000 Yankees. Using cash or prospects to build an all star team. Clemens, RJ, Giambi, A-Rod, Mussina et al. Baseball survived. And, guess what, the Yanks won nada after 2000. Dodgers have won two rings, one the faux season of COVID

The league should stop the deferred contract nonsense. Dodgers got Ohtani for the price of a 9th inning defensive replacement. His contract should have crippled LA as far as the salary cap went.

They need to fix this for the next CBA. The Dodgers have $100m/year deferred and over $1B total in deferred money now. They aren’t breaking any rules, but it’s a little ridiculous.

Also, there needs to be a salary FLOOR that forces the smaller market teams to spend. I don’t think any sport has bigger gaps between the haves and have-nots and Manfred needs to address it ASAP.

 

[chappee11]

It is only a matter of time before they have to make changes and it is pretty obvious. I mean you still have to play the games but at this point, LA has basically strengthened their All-Star team every single year for the past couple years

Who has a shot as the WS this year? Dodgers, Mets, Phillies, Yankees…Dbacks, maybe?

I’d add the Orioles to the list if they showed any interest in improving(they don’t). I guess the Rangers can be tough if degrom came back fully healthy(unlikely). Astros are usually worthy but have clearly fallen off this Winter.

You can basically cross off every team in the Central division both leagues. None of them are trying. The Commissioner can’t be happy.

 

[calsnowskier]

My gut is to defend teams doing what they want. Market conditions should offer pushback at some point. And traditionally, teams that do this sort of team building start from an incredible home-grown core.

The Yankees were a GREAT team before they bought all the top FAs (and actually, they got more shit for it than they actually deserved). The Warriors had 3 HOFers who were all drafted within a few years of each other, and only added 1 super-stud via FA during their entire run (at least during the run).

The Dodgers are buying EVERYONE. Of their projected starting 9 hitters (according to RosterResource), only Smith was a Dodger product on the team last year (Kim is an international signee this year). Of their top 5 SP, only Gonsolin is a Dodger product (as with Kim, Sasaki is an international signee this year). THIS team is completely bought and paid for. I give them credit for finding diamonds in the rough like Muncy, Turner and Taylor, though. I have never claimed the org is not run well. But SOMETHING needs to be done to prevent this kind of monopoly.

 

[navamind]

he's been great the last two seasons, but he was a mediocre reliever before that. And given the volatility of relievers, it just feels like an overpay. Regardless I hope every Dodgers pitcher gets Tommy John

 

[YourFriendGannon]

he's been great the last two seasons, but he was a mediocre reliever before that. And given the volatility of relievers, it just feels like an overpay. Regardless I hope every Dodgers pitcher gets Tommy John

Yeah that's almost as much as Josh Hader got.

Btw earlier today on Bluesky, Bob Nightengale Sr. reported that the Red Sox had offered Tanner Scott more years with higher AAV and Scott took less to be with the Dodgers. The post has since been deleted and Nightengale doesn't have a very good reputation, so...

 

[chappee11]

Yeah that's almost as much as Josh Hader got.

Btw earlier today on Bluesky, Bob Nightengale Sr. reported that the Red Sox had offered Tanner Scott more years with higher AAV and Scott took less to be with the Dodgers. The post has since been deleted and Nightengale doesn't have a very good reputation, so...

It’s unlikely that the Red Sox:

A. Offered more years
B. Offered more money

Especially for a RP. I’m not really buying that one given the way the Red Sox operate post-2018.

 

[TheGoodMan19]

They need to fix this for the next CBA. The Dodgers have $100m/year deferred and over $1B total in deferred money now. They aren’t breaking any rules, but it’s a little ridiculous.

Also, there needs to be a salary FLOOR that forces the smaller market teams to spend. I don’t think any sport has bigger gaps between the haves and have-nots and Manfred needs to address it ASAP.

Nothing can be done until the CBA ends in 2026. And then what? The players will never, ever agree to a hard cap. They will blow up the game before they agree. And we all know how much us fans love the strike/lockout talk. The luxury tax was supposed to cripple the big spenders (it hurt the Red Sox after 2018) but apparently doesn't bother the Dodgers.

100% on the minimum payroll. Pirates ownership was greeted with "Sell the team" chants at a fan meet recently.

 

[calsnowskier]

Nothing can be done until the CBA ends in 2026. And then what? The players will never, ever agree to a hard cap. They will blow up the game before they agree. And we all know how much us fans love the strike/lockout talk. The luxury tax was supposed to cripple the big spenders (it hurt the Red Sox after 2018) but apparently doesn't bother the Dodgers.

100% on the minimum payroll. Pirates ownership was greeted with "Sell the team" chants at a fan meet recently.

The Tax means nothing to the owners if they don’t want it to mean anything.

The Warriors were purchased for approx 400M. The org is now worth over 6B. You really think Lacob cares that he goes over the tax line?

 

[chappee11]

Nothing can be done until the CBA ends in 2026. And then what? The players will never, ever agree to a hard cap. They will blow up the game before they agree. And we all know how much us fans love the strike/lockout talk. The luxury tax was supposed to cripple the big spenders (it hurt the Red Sox after 2018) but apparently doesn't bother the Dodgers.

100% on the minimum payroll. Pirates ownership was greeted with "Sell the team" chants at a fan meet recently.

A hard cap isn’t the answer. The luxury tax system combined with draft/signing penalties is probably more effective anyway. I’m more of the mindset that a salary floor is needed. There are at least a dozen teams that aren’t even trying anymore. It’s embarrassing.

They also need to work on a system to cap deferrals and some new rules around International free agents, as well. It’s not good for the game when all the International talent simply wants to go to the Dodgers.

 

[calsnowskier]

A hard cap isn’t the answer. The luxury tax system combined with draft/signing penalties is probably more effective anyway. I’m more of the mindset that a salary floor is needed. There are at least a dozen teams that aren’t even trying anymore. It’s embarrassing.

They also need to work on a system to cap deferrals and some new rules around International free agents, as well. It’s not good for the game when all the International talent simply wants to go to the Dodgers.

I REALLY don’t see a problem with deferrals. Why are they such a bain to the system?

 

[TheGoodMan19]

I REALLY don’t see a problem with deferrals. Why are they such a bain to the system?

Shohei Ohtani counts less to the Dodgers salary cap as Alex Vesia

 

[calsnowskier]

Shohei Ohtani counts less to the Dodgers salary cap as Alex Vesia

Not true. The deferred amount is applied to the tax (assuming an annual interest rate, which is not applied to the tax).

For example (made up numbers to demonstrate the logic), he has annual hit of 70M aav over the life of his contract. He accepted 5M as an immediate payment, with the rest deferred. That means 65M was deferred of his accrued 70M. Let’s assume that 65M gets paid in ‘34. If you apply a 6% annual interest rate (completely made up), that would mean the ‘24 tax hit would be whatever would be required as a principle to get a 65M lump payment in 10 years (I would assume it would be approx 35M).

It is essentially a Bobby Bonilla payment strategy. The Mets do not have a tax hit from the money they pay Bonilla. That was accrued 20+ years ago.