Wow, I’m not on the ball here.
Anywho, congrats to the 2023 Texas Rangers.
Now on to the 2024 season, which has already seen a manager leave for another team.
The Brewers were always going to be a budget team. Probably getting reinforced by the team running ads in Wisconsin touting hundreds of millions of dollars in high-end upgrades to the stadium at taxpayers’ expenses to flow more money to the owners’ pocketbooks needed improvements to the stadium for the team to stay viable or risk it moving.
Will Counsell be enough to push the Cubs back to the top of the division? Well, it’s not a particularly good division right now; that makes it easier. But the Cubs haven’t recreated the magic from Theo Epstein and prior management tearing down the team for years to suck ass to load up on high-end prospects to get good for once building a championship team for one glorious run. It’s like they’re still in the old mindset of “spend a ton of money, wins, profit” without understanding how to spend money smartly to get wins. Counsell is a good manager, I just don’t think he pushes the Cubs that high without another upspring of talent in the organization.
Jason Benetti goes to broadcast for the Tigers. The White Sox sure know how to keep their fans pissed off and disinterested.
Dear Tim:
DUHHHHH!
Sincerely,
Everyone else.
Not sure any team can afford Ohtani but Jays seem interested.
This guy doesn’t like the way Ohtani is doing all this:
Ohtani has not yet embraced that opportunity. And as he nears his decision in the midst of an imposed information blackout, he has missed a chance to serve the game he loves.
Hey, the guy plays baseball. He doesn’t want the added burden of being the face and the voice of baseball. Not his style or personality. Oh, and he has to “serve the game”? Oh, I get it: he has to serve the Baseball Media.
NYY reportedly the frontrunner to swing a deal for Soto
Soto to the Yankees in 7 player deal!
Meanwhile the cable company owner of the Blue Jays is prepared to give up its exclusive NHL broadcast rights in Canada and redirect that expense to landing Ohtani.
Allegedly Ohtani will pick a suitor very soon, possibly as soon as today.
There are lots of rumors that the Braves are a suitor, but I rate the chances of them swinging Ohtani as very close to zero. It doesn’t fit the mold of actions this front office has taken.
I’m still going to be very surprised is Ohtani is not a Dodger by Monday or sooner.
I don’t know. They blabbed about the meeting they did or did not have.
So Ohtani’s agent probably just using the Jays for bargaining leverage with Dodgers? I can see Ohtani going to LA as he may be less visible with all the other stars there.
Yeah, that is the most ridiculous idea. I can see not wanting to have to talk about it, but I don’t get how the Dodgers mentioning they’re interested, which everyone already knows, affects Ohtani or his agent or, tbh, anyone.
Oddsmakers thought the Ohtani decision was basically down to 2 choices: Dodgers or Toronto.
Reportedly they have stopped betting and pulled the odds now that a decision is imminent:
If Ohtani plays as well the next 10 years as he has in the past few he will be worth whatever he gets paid.
That is a big if though.
I have no inside information. But the Dodgers have been willing to dish out mega contracts, Betts & Freeman most recently. The Dodgers are regular playoff contenders, one of Ohtani’s stated goal. The Dodgers have the payroll space to add him. Ohtani at least when he came over the first time had a desire to play on the West coast, that may have changed in the past 6 years but he’s already familiar with the LA area. This all Captain Obvious stuff though which is why I’m not the only one that thinks he’s going to be in Dodger Blue for the forseeable future.
But in the end money talks and if Toronto comes up with the most money, then may God will tell Ohtani to move to Canada.
I always figured that LAD was the odds on favorite, SF was the #2 having missed out on other FAs in recent years, LAA as a 3rd choice returning to where he knows the place, and if there was a mystery team I figured that would be Steve Cohen’s billions talking or Seattle trying to bring back the Ichiro glory days. When this whole thing started I didn’t think Torotno was anywhere near the sweepstakes winner but sometimes weird shit happens.
Maybe “At what point do you leave a failing country?” is a factor?
If Ohtani signs with Toronto I expect he will live elsewhere during the off-season for tax and climate reasons like other foreign athletes.