[CookieParty]

Current Commissioner Bud Selig will receive the first Commissioner Bud Selig Leadership Award.

 

Dude should just name the fucking league after himself. What a douche.

 

Even though A-Roid is a douche, I will say that Selig should take the stand against him.

[CaseyRyback]

Current Commissioner Bud Selig will receive the first Commissioner Bud Selig Leadership Award.

 

Dude should just name the fucking league after himself. What a douche.

 

Even though A-Roid is a douche, I will say that Selig should take the stand against him.

I fully agree with that. I understand that the commissioner is not required to comment during arbitration, but when you go so far out of the guidelines from the JDA you should specify why you did so. 

 

Not only that, but I still love that baseball acts like this was an impartial ruling after they fired the last arbitrator that ruled in favor of a player. Violating procedure should have been cool with the arbitrator if they wanted to keep their job.

[AvengedBacklog]

yeah, not a Selig fan in the slightest here either.  Cant wait till he's gone.

[tonyv4]

Looks like Tanaka will head to the Yankees on a 7 year $155 million deal with an opt out clause after the 4th year.

[TheN8torious]

Looks like Tanaka will head to the Yankees on a 7 year $155 million deal with an opt out clause after the 4th year.

Thank you, Alex Rodriguez, lol. But if I'm being honest, Japanese pitchers terrify me (and the Yankees have a terrible track record with them...the words Hideki Irabu and Kei Igawa make me throw up in my mouth a little). But at least Tanaka has a good fastball.

 

And people will roll their eyes at the contract, but the Japanese viewers it brings in will be huge (though with Ichiro and Kuroda...the Yanks were probably already doing OK in that regard). As long as he performs, I'm fine with it. Unless he falls flat on his face, it's way better than the contract that Cano ended up getting.

[GhostShark]

Tanaka isn't nearly as good as Darvish and got way too much money, but it was either going to come down to the Dodgers or Yankees. And the Yankees are well over the luxury tax limit again. I'm curious to see the guys at Fangraphs and their ZiPs projection for him. 

[CaseyRyback]

It will be interesting to see if his fastball works in the majors and in particular if he can sustain the level he throws at. 93 mph isn't all that much and if the bigger ball hinders his ability to throw at that level there could be problems.

[AvengedBacklog]

I really think he'll bust out.  Another pitcher the Yanks will regret giving that kind of contract to.

[TheN8torious]

It will be interesting to see if his fastball works in the majors and in particular if he can sustain the level he throws at. 93 mph isn't all that much and if the bigger ball hinders his ability to throw at that level there could be problems.

 

I really think he'll bust out.  Another pitcher the Yanks will regret giving that kind of contract to.

 

Time will tell, but the Yankees really needed to make this move. I think the most questionable move they've made this offseason is signing Beltran. That just felt so reactionary to the Cano signing...and it just crowded the outfield even more. Hopefully Beltran has a huge year...but at his age, it doesn't seem likely.

 

The pitching staff needed a jolt though. Just this offseason the team lost Rivera, Pettitte, Hughes, Chamberlain, and Boone Logan. They've got Sabathia, Kuroda, and Nova...and then after that, it gets questionable very quickly. They still have no idea what they've got with Michael Pineda (most likely nothing)...but they had to roll the dice somewhere. And the young Steinbrenners really needed to show the fans that missing the playoffs isn't something to get used to. If they didn't spend this money...they would lose it when people stop showing up at the ballpark.

 

Even if Tanaka doesn't become an ace...it's not like the Yanks had no reason for signing him. Several teams were going after him. There had to be a reason for that.

[Feeding the Abscess]

It will be interesting to see if his fastball works in the majors and in particular if he can sustain the level he throws at. 93 mph isn't all that much and if the bigger ball hinders his ability to throw at that level there could be problems.

I believe NPB switched to an MLB sized ball 3 or so years ago.

[DestroVega]

Hilarious everyone says Tanaka won't be as good as Darvish when Tanaka's last year in Japan was way better than Darvish's. Makes a lot of sense.

[GhostShark]

It's all about peripherals and stats. Darvish had the better stats over his entire Japanese career. You ask any baseball person (American or Japanese) and they'll tell you that Darvish is better. That's not to say Tanaka is bad, because he's not. He just isn't worth 50 (or 100, depending on how you view the posting process) million more than Darvish.

[DestroVega]

They changed the posting process though. Because of that you can't really compare them as far as their MLB contracts.

[KillerRamen]

I wish Tanaka the best of luck with the Yankees. The contract does seem kinda high to me since he's never pitched in MLB before, but I guess the Yankees are really really confident he'll make the transition very quickly. They also have to pay his old team in Japan $20 million.

 

...I didn't realize that Carlos Beltran signed with the Yankees too. He'll be missed, but the Cardinals usually just don't give out multi year deals to older players. 

[bigdaddybruce44]

They gave Tanaka waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much money, but such is the way of things in today's game. You have middle-of-the-rotation, journeymen innings-eaters getting $10 million a year.

[GhostShark]

Yeah, that's why you see Choo and Ellsbury getting much more than they deserve, but as long as payrolls keep increasing, contracts will as well. I'm curious to see where all the leftover free agents start going. 

 

EDIT: And Matt Garza signed with the Brewers at 4 yrs/52 MM and Grant Balfour signed with the Rays for 2 yrs/12 MM.

[CaseyRyback]

Kind of surprised Garza didn't get more.

And while contracts are huge so are revenues. Ten years ago players made more than 60 percent of revenues. That number now hovers slightly above 40.

[DestroVega]

They changed the posting rules so the tanaka contract just seems more.

[CaseyRyback]

They changed the posting rules so the tanaka contract just seems more.

It is more. Darvish got one year less and the total cost was around 110. That is 65 million more for one extra year.

[DestroVega]

It is more. Darvish got one year less and the total cost was around 110. That is 65 million more for one extra year.

And if the posting rules had been changed last year, Darvish would have gotten a lot more money. That's my point. You used to be able to Pay a huge posting fee and basically the player had to take what they got. Now they are essentially a free agent. Before you weren't bidding against anyone.

[YoshiFan1]

I'm not too optimistic about the upcoming season thanks to the Phillies having the most clueless GM in baseball but at the same time I'm still looking forward to being able to watch baseball on TV again. It's been a very boring winter and I'm still going to watch every game I can even if I think the Phillies are going to be battling with the Marlins for 4th place in the NL East.

[KillerRamen]

What does everyone think about Tony LaRussa and Greg Maddox entering the Hull of Fame without a logo on their cap?

 

I know some people in St Louis were upset with LaRussa's decision not to go in as a Cardinal, but I honestly don't mind. LaRussa had a great career with multiple teams and won the World Series in both the American and National League with the Cardinals and the Athletics. While it's true Tony was a manager longer as a Cardinal, won more games and won two rings as opposed to one with the Athletics, he also has a connection with the A's as a player and with the city. He started in Kansas City and Oakland as an Athletic and he still lives in the Oakland area. 

[pitfallharry219]

As a Braves fan, I'd obviously rather have Maddux go in as a Brave, but it's his decision. He had success everywhere he played, and not having the "A" on his cap isn't going to take away all the great years he had in Atlanta.

[AvengedBacklog]

La Russa I understand given his history with the Cardinals and A's, Maddux I think is a little more ridiculous.  I'll always remember him as a Brave anyway.

[TheN8torious]

La Russa I understand given his history with the Cardinals and A's, Maddux I think is a little more ridiculous.  I'll always remember him as a Brave anyway.

Well, I guess if you think of Maddux playing "his best years" with the Braves, then sure. But he played 11 for Atlanta and 10 for the Cubs...so it's not like he's trying to honor the Cubs for 4 years there or something silly.

[AvengedBacklog]

Well, I guess if you think of Maddux playing "his best years" with the Braves, then sure. But he played 11 for Atlanta and 10 for the Cubs...so it's not like he's trying to honor the Cubs for 4 years there or something silly.

was it really 10 with the Cubs?  Man, I didnt realize it was that much time.  Still, I think his best seasons were with the Braves.

[TheN8torious]

was it really 10 with the Cubs? Man, I didnt realize it was that much time. Still, I think his best seasons were with the Braves.

Yeah, well, you have to remember he went back to Chicago after he left Atlanta. He started his career with 7 seasons in Chicago , then another 2 2/3 seasons there after leaving the Braves. But for sure, his key accomplishments were with Atlanta. I'm guessing he just appreciates the Cubs for the opportunities they gave him.

[AvengedBacklog]

Yeah, well, you have to remember he went back to Chicago after he left Atlanta. He started his career with 7 seasons in Chicago , then another 2 2/3 seasons there after leaving the Braves. But for sure, his key accomplishments were with Atlanta. I'm guessing he just appreciates the Cubs for the opportunities they gave him.

Ah yeah, that would do it.  I was thinking he only had a couple seasons with the Cubs at the beginning and then a few after leaving Atlanta.  

[tcrash247]

I'm not too optimistic about the upcoming season thanks to the Phillies having the most clueless GM in baseball but at the same time I'm still looking forward to being able to watch baseball on TV again. It's been a very boring winter and I'm still going to watch every game I can even if I think the Phillies are going to be battling with the Marlins for 4th place in the NL East.

It's going to be a trainwreck.  I hope they finish behind the Marlins so they can finally fire Amaro.

[CaseyRyback]

It's going to be a trainwreck. I hope they finish behind the Marlins so they can finally fire Amaro.

They already are planning a firesale if they aren't in contention in July. Amaro knows this is the absolute last shot they have. That said, he kind of was hamstrung by the television deal. You don't get a deal like they did when you have a team with no stars.