Shohei Ohtani signs with ????

[jncuse]

There has been a big shift in the betting lines in the last day. It's now a Pick Em between Toronto now catching up to Los Angeles in terms of likely destination.

Toronto Blue Jays -110
Los Angeles Dodgers -120

And of course Toronto twitter posts irrational speculation like last time (flights) or stuff like below.

 

[jncuse]

Another LA-Toronto FA battle. Last time Toronto lost with Kawhi.

Although the "Where would Kawhi get traded to?" betting markets did the exact same sudden move towards Toronto, Kawhi was moved to Toronto within a day.

I didn't really believe we had a chance until now, so would not have been disappointed. Now I will be disappointed,

 

[OrangeXtreme]

I hear he's visiting Syracuse this weekend with KingJoseph.

 

[jncuse]

 

[jncuse]

As an aside, this morning some random Toronto fan did some research of private jets coming in to Toronto. They found one going from Anaheim to Toronto, and there have been thousands of people following the flight path all day. It has now just landed in Toronto.

Whether it is the same one as above or not, Jon Morosi, a fairly good source (but not at the repute of Passan or Rosenthal either) claims there is indeed a flight.

 

[jncuse]

Sportsnet (owned by Rogers who owns the Jays) have pre-empted their Hockey Show that goes on from 5-6 weeknights, with their hosts from the baseball show that runs at the same time during the baseball season.

If Ohtani doesn't get done, its going to near Kawhi level disappointment for me.

 

[Day2]

Ohtani to the Jays would be awesome. Not only would he be spurning the big market usual suspects, but the entire US of A.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Ohtani to the Jays would be awesome. Not only would he be spurning the big market usual suspects, but the entire US of A.

And it would encourage Yamamoto to the Yankees.

 

[jncuse]

As an aside, this morning some random Toronto fan did some research of private jets coming in to Toronto. They found one going from Anaheim to Toronto, and there have been thousands of people following the flight path all day. It has now just landed in Toronto.

Whether it is the same one as above or not, Jon Morosi, a fairly good source (but not at the repute of Passan or Rosenthal either) claims there is indeed a flight.

Bob Nigthengale, Jim Bowden, Jon Heyman, and Ben-Nicholson Smith (Jays beat guy) have all basically come out and without stating Morosi directly, said Jon Morosi (who is with MLB.com) is full of crap. Ohtani is not in Toronto, nor is he flying to Toronto.

Morosi has a checkered rep despite being with MLB.com. This will not help.

Not to say Ohtani to Toronto won't happen. But it isn't imminent it appears.

This friggin team has had a bad run PR wise for the past 6 months, even though they made the playoffs. The management was not liked, and the way they handled the last game of the playoffs and the subsequent no accountability pressers turned people off. If they don't deliver on this after creating false hope, it could really backfire.

 

[Lord Ashby]

Bob Nigthengale, Jim Bowden, Jon Heyman, and Ben-Nicholson Smith (Jays beat guy) have all basically come out and without stating Morosi directly, said Jon Morosi (who is with MLB.com) is full of crap. Ohtani is not in Toronto, nor is he flying to Toronto.

Morosi has a checkered rep despite being with MLB.com. This will not help.

Not to say Ohtani to Toronto won't happen. But it isn't imminent it appears.

This friggin team has had a bad run PR wise for the past 6 months, even though they made the playoffs. The management was not liked, and the way they handled the last game of the playoffs and the subsequent no accountability pressers turned people off. If they don't deliver on this after creating false hope, it could really backfire.

If Toronto management has offerred the $600 ish million contract that is being bantied about, I don't no how you can blame them if he stays in LA. The other thing different with Ohtani is all of the reporters from Japan will have to move with him - not something any other player has to deal with.

 

[jncuse]

Toronto fans do it to themselves

 

[samspann1]

Toronto fans do it to themselves

You don’t mess with Shark Tank.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

In other baseball news, David Rubinstein reportedly in talks to purchase the Orioles.

 

[jncuse]

If Toronto management has offerred the $600 ish million contract that is being bantied about, I don't no how you can blame them if he stays in LA. The other thing different with Ohtani is all of the reporters from Japan will have to move with him - not something any other player has to deal with.

I'm not blaming them for not making a good effort at Ohtani. But I am blaming them for managing the team poorly the past 2 years or so. I'm sure they have made him a rich offer - as one of the big 2 Canadian communication companies that owns the network the Jays play on, as well as any other digital services, they would benefit more than the normal team from getting him signed.

I am blaming management for how they handled themselves last offseason (bad trades), for always being smug with the fans (Shapiro and Atkins), and then the terrible post season pressers after the nightmare final playoff game. That was the game where they pulled the starter after 3 and 1/3 shutout innings due to analytics, and then everybody in mgmt pointed at others. They do not have good equity with their fanbase right now.

Rogers had a chance to quell the rumours today, but instead they created a special show at 5:00 today one of their networks, and then said absolutely nothing. This is a fragile fanbase, especially after Kawhi.

 

[jncuse]

You don’t mess with Shark Tank.

As a backstory, apparently this same private jet flew from Anaheim to Dunedin Florida last weekend (which would have fit with the Jays meeting with Ohtani that occurred there last weekend).

So with the exact same plane flying from Anaheim to Toronto some "sleuths" got way to ahead of themselves.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

As a backstory, apparently this same private jet flew from Anaheim to Dunedin Florida last weekend (which would have fit with the Jays meeting with Ohtani that occurred there last weekend).

So with the exact same plane flying from Anaheim to Toronto some "sleuths" got way to ahead of themselves.

Maybe we need a Flight Aware Forum.

 

[jncuse]

 

[jncuse]

 

[jncuse]

 

[jncuse]

Screw this guy! Amazing that he works for MLB.com ... screws up Ohtani and he screwed up Aaron Judge last year as well apparently.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

I still think Dodgers and Mets make the most sense from a player and team perspective.

Only dark horse team I could think of is Rangers who love throwing around big money randomly. They have an aging staff and full OF but who knows with Chris Young running the show.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[cliftonparksufan]

Something like 10 Billion Yen a year.

 

[jncuse]

Well at least I only let my self get enthralled and excited over this for about 1 day before being letdown as a Toronto fan. The Kawhi situation was like a 3 week drama as soon as the NBA Finals ended.

Seems like Toronto was used by his agent as secondary leverage to drive up the price to get to his preferred destination -- it wouldn't have surprised me if Toronto had made as big or even a bigger offer. Shohei knows LA and the Dodgers are an elite winning organization that he is looking for. Dodgers made most sense for him.

Don't lay low on Rogers to drive up salaries(Toronto owner) - as they owns the Jays, a lot of media / sports media, and communication platforms a superstar player like Ohtani had substantial off the field revenue capabilities that he offered to Toronto ownership compared to other MLB teams.