Marahiro Tanaka And Sox Starting Rotation.

[Palodios]

Tanaka got a big offer from the Cubs, but he's not accepting it. This feels like Anibel Sanchez all over again... the Cubs are driving up the price for a free agent, who isn't taking them seriously.

[Bellhorn04]

Tanaka got a big offer from the Cubs, but he's not accepting it. This feels like Anibel Sanchez all over again... the Cubs are driving up the price for a free agent, who isn't taking them seriously.

 

So it'll come down to where he wants to play...LA or NY.

[mvp 78]

So it'll come down to where he wants to play...LA or NY.

 

Or he just doesn't want to take the first offer on the table.

[Divinity]

Tanaka's wife is a Japanese pop star, she wants to live in a city that can help her career.

[User Name]

That would be pretty much any big market in the US. And i'm sure a mountain of money from a lesser city would change her mind anyway.

[iortiz]

Tanaka got a big offer from the Cubs, but he's not accepting it. This feels like Anibel Sanchez all over again... the Cubs are driving up the price for a free agent, who isn't taking them seriously.

Well, if you have pushers who are really contenders and also have the money, there's no incentive to go to cubbie land.

 

Cubs are not even close to win anything at all in arguably 2-3 years. why would you bother spending 100+ M in an unproven guy now? it doesn't make sense at all. Spend it when you are at least in a position to be a legit contender.

Edited January 18, 2014 by iortiz

[Palodios]

Well, if you have pushers who are really contenders and also have the money, there's no incentive to go to cubbie land.

 

Cubs are not even close to win anything at all in arguably 2-3 years. why would you bother spending 100+ M in an unproven guy now? it doesn't make sense at all. Spend it when you are at least in a position to be a legit contender.

 

Theo has publically said that if he can sign young players to long term deals -- he just doesn't like handing them out to older players. A 7 year deal puts Tanaka at 32/33. Tanaka hits his prime when the Cubs are ready to make a go of it... or they trade him for huge prospects in a year or two.

[iortiz]

Theo has publically said that if he can sign young players to long term deals -- he just doesn't like handing them out to older players. A 7 year deal puts Tanaka at 32/33. Tanaka hits his prime when the Cubs are ready to make a go of it... or they trade him for huge prospects in a year or two.

 

Thing is, this guy has zero track record in the mlb under his belt. If the name were Kershaw, Fernandez, and few other ace type young players I would understand the strategy though. IMO this move would be too risky if the cubs signed him… it could put them in an horrendous financial situation again if he turned into a D-K 2.0

Edited January 18, 2014 by iortiz

[User Name]

The plan is probably to get him then trade Samardzija for a monster return, as Palodios had Theo-rized (heheh) before. I personally don't buy into the Tanaka hype either, but a lot of clubs are very high on him and are willing to pay top dollar for his services.

[iortiz]

The plan is probably to get him then trade Samardzija for a monster return, as Palodios had Theo-rized (heheh) before. I personally don't buy into the Tanaka hype either, but a lot of clubs are very high on him and are willing to pay top dollar for his services.

Yup, but teams like NYY or LAD and even the Sox are in a totally different situation. They are arguably 1 or 2 players away to win it all on paper.

[iortiz]

Also IMO Samardzija is so overrated. I don't like the guy at all. I clearly remember a game vs Philly which he was destroyed and others. I wouldn't pay a haul of top prospects for this guy at all, and I don't see that happening either, we'll see though. Edited January 18, 2014 by iortiz

[redsoxfan3]

The plan is probably to get him then trade Samardzija for a monster return, as Palodios had Theo-rized (heheh) before. I personally don't buy into the Tanaka hype either, but a lot of clubs are very high on him and are willing to pay top dollar for his services.

 

If the Cubs do sign Tankaka, it would not surprise me one bit if they planned on trying to extend Samardzija. They could try to get a large return for him in a trade, but at some point they have to try to build around some guys.

 

Wood is only 26, had a strong year last year, and is locked up through 2016. Samardzija is 28, a player they could extend to lock up long-term because he is only under contract through 2015. Tanaka is probably over-hyped, but he could make the Cubs rotation better. They could have a rotation of:

 

Wood

Tanaka

Samardzija

Jackson

Rusin or Arrieta

 

Rusin had a decent season through the 13 games he pitched last year, is 27, and is locked up through 2019. Arrieta could compete with Rusin for the 5th spot in the rotation, is only 27, and is locked up through 2017. Jackson had a rough year last year, but as a back-end of the rotation starter, he could add some value to their roation. He is not a free agent until 2017 and is 30.

 

The Cubs could have a decent rotation by signing Tanaka and keeping Samardzija and extending him long-term. That is something that I could see them doing and building around their rotation in the future. Logically, trading Samardzija for a huge return makes sense. I know a lot of Cubs fans that are frustrated about being in "rebuilding mode" every season. Eventually that thought has to be thrown out of the door. It is a matter of when and doing it smart.

[User Name]

Yup, but teams like NYY or LAD and even the Sox are in a totally different situation. They are arguably 1 or 2 players away to win it all on paper.

 

Money talks. That's why Cano is a Mariner.

[Palodios]

New report that 6 teams are deep into the Tanaka pursuit.

 

NYY, LAD, CHW, CHC, ARI, and a mystery team have all made 100+ million dollar offers, and now Tanaka has to decide on which one to choose. Strange that we get so many details... these kinds of things aren't usually that blatant.

[Behindenemylines]

What ever team does sign Tanaka doesn't know for sure what 22-0 in Japan translates to The Show. It is probably somewhere between Darvish and Dice-K. I haven't heard anyone say he was an ace, but the money being talked about is ace money.

[seabeachfred]

Palodios and BEL, this is getting to be like a soap opera....he's going here, no he's going there, no, we don't know where, or maybe this or maybe that. Still I'd sure rather be talking about this than the A-Fraud caper. The mystery does deepen, though, not that a number of teams are digging in for the home stretch.

[mvp 78]

Well, we'll all have our answer by Friday at 5pm (signing deadline). Somewhere Marklmw will be crying into a mediocre steak.

[rjortiz]

Yup, but teams like NYY or LAD and even the Sox are in a totally different situation. They are arguably 1 or 2 players away to win it all on paper.

 

Yankees are a lot further than one, or even two players from winning at all. I don't think Tanaka even makes them second best in the East.

[Palodios]

One report saying the cubs may be willing to go up to 8/200 for Tanaka. Just sign already so the rest of free agency can happen. I know it is a first-world problem, but Tanaka is singlehandedly screwing up baseball player family plans by holding up the market. Some of these players are going to have to less than two weeks to figure out where they are going to live before spring training.

 

More importantly, I am impatient.

[Spudboy]

8/200 is nuts on an unproven commodity. It's nuts for any athlete other than say, a golfer. One injury and that investment goes south in a hurry.

[redsoxrules]

I would love if he would land in Arizona or Chicago.

Anywhere's but LA and NY is fine by me. I could see Toronto as a sleeper team on this.

[iortiz]

200/8? Oh Theo boy!. LOL!

[User Name]

The Chicago Cubs are not Theo Epstein. That much money would have to be an ownership propelled move.

[iortiz]

In the end he will be the main responsible for this move, for good or for bad.

[User Name]

You do know he's not the GM of the Cubs right? Your crusade to s*** on Epstein at every possible turn with some frankly silly arguments is kinda tiresome dude.

[iortiz]

My crusade against TE? Hahahaha Nahhhh. It's not my fault that you have a picture of him and BC in your bedroom "pissing excellence" LOL!

 

If you think that the Tanaka move (if so) will be on the GM, you are fooling yourself.

Edited January 21, 2014 by iortiz

[Palodios]

It's not my fault that you have a picture of him and BC in your bedroom

 

.. but it is your fault that you don't have a picture of BC in YOUR bedroom.

[User Name]

Well played Palodios. Well played.

[SoxSport]

Yankees are a lot further than one, or even two players from winning at all. I don't think Tanaka even makes them second best in the East.

 

Right. They have a weak infield. and no power in the OF, unless you believe Beltran is 10 years younger. What the Yankees do have is mediapower.

[iortiz]

.. but it is your fault that you don't have a picture of BC in YOUR bedroom.

 

A pic of BC or TE pissing pure excellence in my bedroom? No way! LOL!