Yoshinobu Yamamoto reportedly agrees to join Dodgers on record 12-year, $325 million

[packs]

I understand the Japanese league is second to MLB in terms of talent but it’s a distant second. The contract dollars are built around mystique. I don’t think there’s any reason an MLB team would draft a pitcher first overall and pay them 25 mil. Why do it on the international stage?

[Seven]

Originally Posted by packs

I understand the Japanese league is second to MLB in terms of talent but it’s a distant second. The contract dollars are built around mystique. I don’t think there’s any reason an MLB team would draft a pitcher first overall and pay them 25 mil. Why do it on the international stage?

I think it has partially to do with the fact that the NPB has closed the gap somewhat in terms of talent to the Major Leagues, the seasoning that Yammamoto has, and the fact that he's been so dominant in the NPB.

That being said, 12 years 325 million for a guy that has never thrown a single major league pitch is ridiculous. I'm all for the players being paid fairly, but the salaries have completely jumped the shark. Hell quite frankly everything has when it comes to money, with our national pastime.

[packs]

I hear you on the gap closing lately. Paul Skenes had probably the most dominant season of college baseball ever. He was drafted first overall and signed for a 9.2 million dollar bonus. He will make the minimum after.

[D. Bergin]

Hiroki Kuroda might have only been a .500 pitcher, but he had a sneaky good (and pretty durable) 7 year run from his mid to late 30's in the MLB.

...and he wasn't a really highly touted phenom coming out of Japan. Just a solid pitcher.

Maybe not always perennial Cy Young contenders, but a lot of these Japanese pitchers are considered seasoned and reliable enough to plug right into a rotation or bullpen somewhere.

We've come a long way in scouting and evaluating these guys (both physically and mentally) since the unmitigated disaster that was Hideki Irabu. A heartbreaking story in retrospect, of a guy who never really wanted to leave his country.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Seven

I think it has partially to do with the fact that the NPB has closed the gap somewhat in terms of talent to the Major Leagues, the seasoning that Yammamoto has, and the fact that he's been so dominant in the NPB.

That being said, 12 years 325 million for a guy that has never thrown a single major league pitch is ridiculous. I'm all for the players being paid fairly, but the salaries have completely jumped the shark. Hell quite frankly everything has when it comes to money, with our national pastime.

Nobody is forcing anyone to pay the obscene prices for tickets and merchandise, or to watch the games.

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Nobody is forcing anyone to pay the obscene prices for tickets and merchandise, or to watch the games.

Yup. I'm a Yankee fan and I even cut the cord for the YES Channel several years ago.

I still follow them and are invested in how they do, but have no interest in doing it at any cost. We are not powerless in this. We have choices.

I get out to minor league games (both baseball & hockey) whenever I get the chance. Still a reasonable night/day out.