A bit optimistic maybe, but you are right that the merchandise sales in japan would cover a big part of his contract. The people there adore him. 

He wants to go to a perennial world series contender. I think that excludes the Twins. A guy can dream though.

A tad bit of flawed logic. If Ohtani pitches on Sunday and throws 100 pitches there is no way he plays the outfield for at least 3 days. So his salary should be a combined pitcher and DH.

48 minutes ago, ziggy said:

He wants to go to a perennial world series contender. I think that excludes the Twins. A guy can dream though.

A tad bit of flawed logic. If Ohtani pitches on Sunday and throws 100 pitches there is no way he plays the outfield for at least 3 days. So his salary should be a combined pitcher and DH.

You are very correct that he should be considered only as a DH.  But he probably among the premier DHs.  And why couldn't the Twins be a perennial contender?  Extend Maeda and Mahle and you have a top 5 starting rotation, a strong bullpen, good defense, and a decent offense.  That sounds to me like the blueprint for a perennial contender.

Won't matter.  The Dodgers conspicuously spent minimal dollars this year and they will break out the bank for him next year.

I have talked a few times about his overall value.  I agree he should not be graded as an OF, as he will not be playing much out there.  Sure he could transition there should his pitching ever drop off, but as long as he is still pitching as a top pitcher you do not take him off there.  I have long said though he is one I would be willing to sign to a long term deal as a pitcher, because he has the fall back of hitting should he ever losing the pitching level.  Normally, I say stay away from deals beyond 4 years for a pitcher due to their completely falling off cliffs, but none of them could just stop pitching and be only a hitter like Ohtani could. 

Clickbait column. The Twins will never pursue Ohtani because that’s not what they do and the price tag is so high, regardless of the merchandise sales in Japan. And there is the cultural fit, too, so a west coast destination seems likely. Dodgers, anyone?

On 2/26/2023 at 10:44 AM, Bigfork Twins Guy said:

Won't matter.  The Dodgers conspicuously spent minimal dollars this year and they will break out the bank for him next year.

And the Mets don't care how much they spend, and it appears the Friars of San Diego don't care how much they spend.

Even if the Twins were seriously interested, as this past off season showed with C4, we cannot compete spending with the Big Bucks teams.

2 hours ago, Otaknam said:

Clickbait column. The Twins will never pursue Ohtani because that’s not what they do and the price tag is so high, regardless of the merchandise sales in Japan. And there is the cultural fit, too, so a west coast destination seems likely. Dodgers, anyone?

He'd turn down that BAFO, because he's sure that other better contending teams can do better.

9 hours ago, EGFTShaw said:

And the Mets don't care how much they spend, and it appears the Friars of San Diego don't care how much they spend.

Even if the Twins were seriously interested, as this past off season showed with C4, we cannot compete spending with the Big Bucks teams.

Will not compete with “Big Bucks” teams.  It’s an important distinction to make.  They aren’t bound by anything other than the percentage of revenues they choose internally to allocate to payroll to make their baseline profit number.  That’s just an inalienable fact.

Im not commenting on the strategy’s validity (if you can really call it a strategy - it doesn’t really have anything to do with baseball at all). There’s no more dead horse left to beat there.  It’s been thoroughly composted and another Pohlad money tree is flourishing on it.

Just want to make it clear that it’s a choice. Whether right or wrong.  Can’t implies some sort on externally imposed limitation or actual inability.

First of all I think that Ohtani is an excellent pitcher.  He was very good two years ago and excellent last year.  I don't know if that makes him what people on the boards are calling a "true ace" or not -- 160 innings of 2.33 pitching in his very best year.   $32M per year?  Not sure.  He's definitely not the workhorse that Justin Verlander is. 

As for a DH, again he is very good.  $27M per year good for a pure DH?  Also not so sure that's the going rate, and combining the two of those salaries puts it way too far over the top to be worthwhile.  Someone may pay the man, but just because you can doesn't mean you should.  Let someone else write that check. 

12 hours ago, Beast said:

Will not compete with “Big Bucks” teams.  It’s an important distinction to make.  They aren’t bound by anything other than the percentage of revenues they choose internally to allocate to payroll to make their baseline profit number.  That’s just an inalienable fact.

Im not commenting on the strategy’s validity (if you can really call it a strategy - it doesn’t really have anything to do with baseball at all). There’s no more dead horse left to beat there.  It’s been thoroughly composted and another Pohlad money tree is flourishing on it.

Just want to make it clear that it’s a choice. Whether right or wrong.  Can’t implies some sort on externally imposed limitation or actual inability.

Well at some point, if Mets wanted to spend more, and did not care if their team was losing money, they could out spend the Pohlads several times over. Pohlads worth in 2015, according to Forbes about 3.8 billion, that is using the value of the Twins.  Steve Cohen is estimated to be worth 17.4.  Even if you take out what the teams value is, Cohen could dip into his own worth and out spend the Twins any time he wanted to.  So yes, at some point Pohlads could not spend as much as Cohen.  Even if the Pohlads net worth jumped a bit in last 8 years, they still at best would be worth half of what Cohen is worth.  Now, if you want to talk about just spending revenue from baseball, I would bet anything the Mets pull in much more money from baseball revenue than the Twins do.  Just on TV money alone. 

10 hours ago, Rod Carews Birthday said:

First of all I think that Ohtani is an excellent pitcher.  He was very good two years ago and excellent last year.  I don't know if that makes him what people on the boards are calling a "true ace" or not -- 160 innings of 2.33 pitching in his very best year.   $32M per year?  Not sure.  He's definitely not the workhorse that Justin Verlander is. 

As for a DH, again he is very good.  $27M per year good for a pure DH?  Also not so sure that's the going rate, and combining the two of those salaries puts it way too far over the top to be worthwhile.  Someone may pay the man, but just because you can doesn't mean you should.  Let someone else write that check. 

If you go by what teams are paying for WAR, bWAR has Ohtani averaging over 9 WAR last 2 seasons, his overall worth is 81 mil, as teams have been paying about 9 million per WAR to FA.  So with contracts going, $50 mil a year does not sound crazy.  Mainly because he is still only 28, turns 29 mid-season, and if ever needed, he can just go to either hitter or pitcher full time if he drops off doing one.  

Or the Twins could take LSU pitcher/1B Paul Skenes at # 5 in the draft and have the second-best college pitcher in the draft and a power hitting 1B. Mark my words and mark them well, Paul Skenes is the next Ohtani.

20 hours ago, Doctor Gast said:

He'd turn down that BAFO, because he's sure that other better contending teams can do better.

So what?  Because he might turn it down?  Make the offer anyway.  If he doesn't like it, so be it.

The Twins could offer a very high AAV without exceeding the luxury tax. That is the one advantage they have.

The 'big buck' teams would be paying his salary almost twice; once to Ohtani and once to MLB.

23 hours ago, tarheeltwinsfan said:

Or the Twins could take LSU pitcher/1B Paul Skenes at # 5 in the draft and have the second-best college pitcher in the draft and a power hitting 1B. Mark my words and mark them well, Paul Skenes is the next Ohtani.

Not saying you will be wrong, but I remember Brendan McKay, who was drafted around same time Ohtani came over and was expected to be a two way player.  Rays have kept using him in minors that way, until 2021.  They did not give him as much run as a two way guy, but really he did not hit as expected and been injured as well.  He still could make it as a pitcher, but looks like hitting is behind him.  

However, that is part of the value of these guys, is if one does not develop, you hope the other does.  Some guys will start as one, then after failing flip to the other.  Normally it is failed hitter to pitcher, but some have gone from failed pitcher to hitter. Rick Ankiel is one of most famous to do it in recent years.  I am sure there are more that switched in minors.