Masahiro Tanaka could be making big money this offseason. The top Japanese hurler might be posted very soon, and according to Yahoo! Sports, it's his decision if he wants to be posted.
Nippon Professional Baseball and the MLB agreed to new posting rules earlier Monday so that the NPB can receive some grievance if they lose their pitcher (max $20 million on posting fee). Shortly after, it seemed as if Tanaka was given permission to come to the MLB if he wished. It definitely seems like he wishes. Over his Japanese career, 25-year-old Masahiro Tanaka has pitched beautifully. Over his seven year NPB career, Tanaka is 99-35 with a 2.30 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP. In 2013, Tanaka was practically perfect, pitching to a 24-0 record, a 1.27 ERA, and a 0.94 WHIP. Including the postseason, Tanaka was 30-0 in 2013. Tanaka should be a solid pitcher in the Major Leagues and could make a ton of money starting this offseason. The Yankees and Cubs have shown interest in Tanaka, but until he gets posted, it's truly unknown who will be in on the righty. Expect Tanaka to make a decision soon. Ben Badler of Baseball America reports that Tanaka's Japanese team (the Rakuten Eagles) should be meeting with Tanaka soon to discuss his decision on weather he wants to play in the Major Leagues.
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Nippon Professional Baseball and Major League Baseball have agreed to new posting laws on Monday, according to reports. Major League Baseball announced that the posting system is now official.
The main difference is that there are no longer bids to receive "exclusive negotiating rights" with the player. The player is able to sign with any team who pays the Japanese team the "release fee." The Japanese team gets to set the "release fee" to what they think MLB teams will pay. They could set it at $5 million, $10 million, all the way up to $20 million. If a team wishes to negotiate with the posted player, they must pay the release fee. All teams that pay the fee are able to negotiate with the player. Here are the rest of the rules of the next posting system (via MLB Press Release):
The Arizona Diamondbacks and the Chicago White Sox have completed a trade Monday afternoon, exchanging closing pitcher Addison Reed (to D-Backs) for third base prospect Matt Davidson (to White Sox). The Diamondbacks and White Sox have each confirmed the deal.
Reed, 24, went 5-4 with a 3.79 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP with 40 saves in 48 opportunities. He posted a 9.1 SO/9 rate and a 2.9 BB/9 rate. Reed has been able to shut down the hitters in the late innings over the past few seasons. Over his career, Reed is 2-3 with a 3.57 ERA in save situations, saving 69 of his 86 career opportunities. Expect Reed to add to a Diamondbacks team that ranked 25th-worst in the MLB in saves in 2013. Reed will be able to fill that hole that they had there last season. In return, the White Sox receive 22-year-old third baseman Matt Davidson. Davidson was the MVP of the 2013 Futures Game at Citi Field, was named a PCL midseason All-Star, and won the Triple-A home run derby. Heading into the 2013 season, Baseball America ranked Davidson as the 4th best prospect in the Diamondbacks organization and the 88th best prospect overall. In 2013, Davidson hit .280/.350/.481 with 17 home runs and 74 RBI in 115 games with the Reno Aces (D-Backs Triple-A). He will likely be the starting third baseman for the White Sox in 2014. The Cleveland Indians have signed relief pitcher John Axford, according to Buster Olney of ESPN. Earlier on Sunday, the Indians were reportedly making Axford their top target, and it seemed as if they succeeded in their goals. On Monday, Ken Rosenthal reported that the deal is a one-year contract worth $4.5 million.
In 2013, Axford went 7-7 with a 4.02 ERA in 75 games between the Brewers and Cardinals. He also posted a 9.0 SO/9 rate and a 3.6 BB/9 rate. The only concern for Axford is that he posted a SO/9 rate 1.8 lower than his career average. It seems like Axford could be on the decline. The Indians will likely utilize Axford as their closer in 2014. Chris Perez, their 2013 closer, seems to be headed elsewhere in free agency. Will have to see how many years and for how much Axford is signed before we can determine the deal the Indians made. Infielder Mark Ellis and the St. Louis Cardinals have agreed to a one-year deal, according to reports. The veteran Ellis and the Cardinals' deal is pending a physical. On Monday, Ken Rosenthal reported that the deal is worth $5.25 million.
The 36-year-old Ellis hit .270/.323/.351 (92 OPS+) with 6 home runs and 48 RBI in 126 games with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2013. The former Oakland Athletic and Colorado Rockie has hit .265/.330/.390 (94 OPS+) over his career playing mostly second base in his 11 seasons. Expect Ellis to provide good depth with the Cardinals all around the infield. He'll provide veteran leadership on this relatively young Cardinals team. |
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