Shohei Ohtani‘s agent has asked each MLB team that intends to bid on the two-way Japanese standout to say in writing why he would be a good fit for their club, the Associated Press reported Friday.
“The memo from Nez Balelo, co-head of CAA Baseball, was distributed to all 30 teams by the commissioner’s office late Friday along with materials for the Dec. 1 vote on a new posting agreement between Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball,” the release from AP said. “If the deal is approved, the 23-year-old is expected to be put up for bid later that day or the following day.
“Balelo’s memo asks for a team to evaluate Ohtani’s talent as a pitcher and as a hitter; to explain its player development, medical training and player performance philosophies and facilities; to describe its minor league and spring training facilities; to detail resources for Ohtani’s cultural assimilation into the team’s city; to demonstrate a vision for how Ohtani could integrate into the team’s organization; and to tell Ohtani why the team is a desirable place to play.”
According to Jim Allen of the Kyodo News on Twitter earlier this week, Nippon Professional Baseball is tentatively set to post Ohtani on Dec. 2, which would give teams until Dec. 23 to strike a deal with the highly coveted 23-year-old.
This comes on the heels of a tentative agreement reached between Nippon Professional Baseball, Major League Baseball and the Players’ Association on a posting system to cover this offseason as well as a three-year deal going forward, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
Original report: Nov. 16, 10:58 a.m.
The Major League Baseball Players Association has set a Monday deadline to resolve the issues surrounding the new international posting system according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag Sports.
Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball has been working with Major League Baseball over concerns that the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters would receive a $20 million posting fee while Shohei Ohtani could only max out his possible contract around $3.5 million.
Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said this on Wednesday about the possibility of acquiring the pitcher/outfielder, “I don’t think there’s a downside in looking into it. I think the only downside is creating a false set of expectations on the part of fans which I think have to be tempered.”
The Mets currently only have $105,000 left in their 2017 international signing bonus allowance but could make trades to increase that.
Of course, Ohtani isn’t going to be making his biggest money on the contract he signs and instead in likely endorsements for the player deemed the “Japanese Babe Ruth.”
The 23-year-old Ohtani hit .332/.403/.540 in 65 games this season and had a 3.20 ERA in 25.1 innings. Thigh and ankle injuries limited his time on the mound in 2017.
