notin

So... more like Isiah Thomas than Elway?

The Twins might not be as inferior as you think. Try not base base too much on one game. And if Otani thinks he can carry a good team to the post-season, he will find himself at the forefront of the Twins team as opposed to being behind a few other ready-made stars on the Yankees. It's going to be his choice. But don't count out the Twins...

Uehara and Okajima didn't heal them?

Plenty of them have been successful. The failure rate among Japanese players is probably about the same as the failure rate of any other country...

Every team that has ventured in to the Asian marketts has had their share of players who didn't pan out. Passin on Otani because Park, who came from a different country altogether, did not pan out would be like passing on Bryce Harper because Matt Bush didn't pan out...

You ever oversell your players from their overseas days. Matsui was a great player in Japan, but he benefited from playing for the most popular team in the country, the Yomiuri Giants. Ichiro played for a far lesser team, the Orix Blue Wave, but when he left for Seattle, attendace plummeted for the team. Heavily. Conversely, post-Matsui Giants continued a half-century long string of sold out games. Really, while the Yankees are certainly putting together a good team, so is Texas, and so is Minnesota (surprisingly). If Otani wants to be the proverbial Big Fish, he stands a better chance there. Seattle has the obvious proximity advantage, and the Angels do as well. The Mariners in particular have a long history with Japanese players tha extends beyond Ichiro (who I would bet is not remembered as a Yankee in Japan). But really, the most popular player over there in the past few decades was Daisuke, a player Otani possibly idolized at one point. But the Sox are going to be on the outside looking in on this one, unless the situation is unresolved this year..

Reportedly, the Giants offered Joe Panik, Tyler Beede and Chris Shaw for Stanton and Dee Gordon. Beede did struggle in the PCL, but every pitcher struggles in the PCL.

He already has a contract that guarantees him $295 million over the next 10 years. Those pockets are lined and stuffed. As for being a houselhold name, he just won MVP. I think that got him some fairly decent PR...

I don't see him at 2B, either. That seems like a despearte move, but then, their staff is certainly more familiar with his ankle than any of us. But at the very least, I could see Swihart as a catcher-corner infielder-corner outfielder as a part time player. I don't think that's the craziest of expectations...

No one really knows how much money is a factor. The only party it seems to matter to is the Nippon Ham Fighters. It certainly doesn't seem like Otani cares, or he would postpne his arrival by one season to let his ankle recover fully. The Yankees figure to be in the running for him regardless, but do they have a selling point over the Rangers or Mariners? The Mariners might have made even more sense had Nintendo not old off the majorty of their shares...

Usually very little happens before Thanksgiving. THe next winter meetings from December 10-14 should be much more eventful...

How many of those accepted qualifying offers? Hellickson certainly did. Bret Cecil strikes me as a cautionary tale for overpaying early...

But so far St. Louis and San Francisco have been more inclined to give actual packages with real prospects. THAT is the biggest obstacle for Boston. Stanton will get dealt, but likely somewhere else. And Miami probably gets one decent prospect better than anything the Sox have offered.

But.... I thought bad post-season starts were due to choking?

I think he'll be safe. Jeter's entourage probably already outnumbers the number of Marlins' season ticket holders. ..

And 39yo Ichiro was making less then, too. But even Rollins, who was 33 when he signed his extension, made very similar annual money to Pedroia despite being 3 years older at the time and exiting his prime years. So why do you think signing 30yo Pedroia to a below-market deal was a bad idea, but making 30yo JD Martinez one of the highest paid outfielders, possibly the highest paid, in MLB history is a good idea? Martinez hasn't been nearly as good at his position as Pedroia and JD is unlikely to suddenly become a playervwith no health issues in his 30s...

Swihart's future appears to be headed in the super sub direction. The Sox have been trying him in a multitude of new positions at varying times. I wouldn't even eliminate the possibility of more corner outfield play in his future...

Leon can be traded, but any trade he is in won't look radically different if he was left out. His inclusion won't be a deal breaker except in very minor trades, since very similar players can be found in every free agent market and cost very little money.

It's a pretty sweet deal for the Marlins, who save $15mill if (re: when) Stanton opts out. I could see the Giants trading either Tyler Beede or Chris Shaw for Bradley, but not both. I don't see the addition oof Chatham balancing that iut for them, either...

Who are the "big players"? I think they come from list of Boston, St.Louis, Texas, the Mets and the Angels. Now who are their big money targets....

No. Leon is a journeyman catcher who had one good season at the plate. Anything he can be dealt for has its equivalent on the free agent market, and not the expensive side, either. Leon has very little trade value. He can be traded, but likely only for another player with very little trade value. ...

Yes and it will be like $13-14 mill against the luxury tax. Or enough to get a left- handed relief pitcher and a weakside platoon outfielder. ..

And the lowest paid former MVP...

Pedroia isn't retiring early. If he is forced out by injury, he joins Castillo as expensive non-40 man roster players. ..

Oakland is actually fairly likely to sign a 1B, just not a pricey one. Cleveland could go either way, but are not so likely to cheap out the way you predict. Also don't leave out the Mets and the Angels to the list of suitors (and non-tender candidate CJ Cron to the list of available free agents)...