Kikuchi to Mariners...

[notin]

Per MLBTR...

[jacksonianmarch]

This really baffles me, similar to the Ohtani crap from last year. The guy could have picked his team and may have even beaten the deal he will get in Seattle in a larger market. Yet they both chose s***** teams due to location. It isn’t like Japan is a stones throw away from the west coast. Yeah, it’s 5 hours closer by plane, but s***, it’s still an 11 hour flight from Seattle. What’s another 5 hours? I am beginning to wonder if the guys coming over are just happy to be big leaguers or if they really want to win something.

[moonslav59]

This really baffles me, similar to the Ohtani crap from last year. The guy could have picked his team and may have even beaten the deal he will get in Seattle in a larger market. Yet they both chose s***** teams due to location. It isn’t like Japan is a stones throw away from the west coast. Yeah, it’s 5 hours closer by plane, but s***, it’s still an 11 hour flight from Seattle. What’s another 5 hours? I am beginning to wonder if the guys coming over are just happy to be big leaguers or if they really want to win something.

 

If you plan on flying back a lot, 5 hours is a lot.

[jacksonianmarch]

He ain’t gonna be flying back a lot. Once the season starts, he’s in the US or Canada. The only chance he has will be the ASB. That’s it. He might as well try to win. He just joined a team that just blew itself up and doesn’t plan to contend for 19 and 20. His deal is a 3+1. Heck, if the M’s rebuild to their liking, Kikuchi may only be on the team for one good season before he hits the market again. More likely, Kikuchi will be on the team through 3 years of hell

[moonslav59]

He ain’t gonna be flying back a lot. Once the season starts, he’s in the US or Canada. The only chance he has will be the ASB. That’s it. He might as well try to win. He just joined a team that just blew itself up and doesn’t plan to contend for 19 and 20. His deal is a 3+1. Heck, if the M’s rebuild to their liking, Kikuchi may only be on the team for one good season before he hits the market again. More likely, Kikuchi will be on the team through 3 years of hell

 

There is also a large Asian population on the west coast.

[jacksonianmarch]

Wonderful, so he can play on a s*** team in front of his fellow countrymen. Congrats

[moonslav59]

Wonderful, so he can play on a s*** team in front of his fellow countrymen. Congrats

 

Somebody has to play for the M's.

 

Maybe he just felt like all Sox fans do: anyone but the Yankees!

[Kimmi]

He ain’t gonna be flying back a lot. Once the season starts, he’s in the US or Canada. The only chance he has will be the ASB. That’s it. He might as well try to win. He just joined a team that just blew itself up and doesn’t plan to contend for 19 and 20. His deal is a 3+1. Heck, if the M’s rebuild to their liking, Kikuchi may only be on the team for one good season before he hits the market again. More likely, Kikuchi will be on the team through 3 years of hell

 

Maybe he's planning on having his family fly to the States regularly. It's not just a larger Asian population on the West coast, but more Asian culture. Maybe Ichiro was a big influence on him.

[harmony]

The Mariners aren’t tanking.

 

The media have mischaracterized the strategy as rebuilding.

 

The situation reminds me of 2000 after the Mariners lost Randy Johnson, Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez within a two-year period.

 

The Mariners may exceed low expectations in 2019 ... or not.

[harmony]

This really baffles me, similar to the Ohtani crap from last year. The guy could have picked his team and may have even beaten the deal he will get in Seattle in a larger market. Yet they both chose s***** teams due to location. It isn’t like Japan is a stones throw away from the west coast. Yeah, it’s 5 hours closer by plane, but s***, it’s still an 11 hour flight from Seattle. What’s another 5 hours? I am beginning to wonder if the guys coming over are just happy to be big leaguers or if they really want to win something.

Perhaps this post epitomizes the New York attitude that Yusei Kikuchi wants to avoid.

 

Or not.😀

[notin]

U

Wonderful, so he can play on a s*** team in front of his fellow countrymen. Congrats

 

 

I heard he would have taken less money to play for the Yankees. Maybe they needed to offer less?

Edited January 1, 2019 by notin

[jacksonianmarch]

The deal ends up being pretty big in the end, but it baffles me that he chose Seattle. I think SD has a better chance of rising than Seattle as SD has one of the best farms in baseball and they’re just as close to Japan as Seattle. And I think LA was in on it and they’re the favorite to return to the WS on the NL side IMO

[Kimmi]

Perhaps this post epitomizes the New York attitude that Yusei Kikuchi wants to avoid.

 

Or not.

 

Ha. Good one!

[harmony]

The deal ends up being pretty big in the end, but it baffles me that he chose Seattle. I think SD has a better chance of rising than Seattle as SD has one of the best farms in baseball and they’re just as close to Japan as Seattle. And I think LA was in on it and they’re the favorite to return to the WS on the NL side IMO

It’s not a big deal but Seattle is nearly 800 miles closer to Tokyo than San Diego is.

 

I suspect Yusei Kikuchi consulted with many Japanese players about their experience in Seattle. At the top of the list might be Ichiro, who now works in the Mariner front office.

 

This Seattle fan is posting from San Diego today.

Edited January 2, 2019 by harmony

[dgalehouse]

Excellent selling job by Boras . He still has it .

[Northern Star]

This really baffles me, similar to the Ohtani crap from last year. The guy could have picked his team and may have even beaten the deal he will get in Seattle in a larger market. Yet they both chose s***** teams due to location. It isn’t like Japan is a stones throw away from the west coast. Yeah, it’s 5 hours closer by plane, but s***, it’s still an 11 hour flight from Seattle. What’s another 5 hours? I am beginning to wonder if the guys coming over are just happy to be big leaguers or if they really want to win something.

 

I hate to be picky, but Seattle to Tokyo is a 9 hour flight. I knew it couldn't be 11 because I've flown Minneapolis to Tokyo before, which was 11.5.