Theo Epstein is no stranger to international players, specifically players in Japan. During his time in Chicago alone, he has brought in Kyuji Fujikawa, Tsyohsi Wada, Koji Uehara, and fan-favorite Munenori Kawasaki.
And and even going back to Epstein’s days in Boston, his track record with Japanese imports played a major role in breaking the Red Sox’ 86 year championship drought. Guys like Dave Roberts, Takashi Saito, Junichi Tazawa, Hideki Okajima, and even the highly coveted talent like Daisuke Matauzaka.
His well-documented history of cultivating Japanese talent is what the Cubs feel gives them the advantage in the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes. And if you’re asking the Cubs, the feel Ohtani is coming to the North Side.
The Cubs are a perfect fit for Shohei Ohtani: https://t.co/fI93LrApFN
(@TonyAndracki23) pic.twitter.com/M3DI3GaBTR
— Cubs Talk (@NBCSCubs) November 28, 2017
The Cubs want him to swing the bat
According to a source, the Cubs are confident they can sign the 23-year-old Japanese superstar, and are willing to make the necessary arrangements to accommodate Ohtani’s requests. Starting with allowing the young star to pitch and consistently play in the field.
There have been rumblings that Ohtani is requesting to play at least three times a week in the field, to go along with his regularly scheduled start on the mound. And as unusually as that is in the MLB, Ohtani has played the outfield in 62 games during his five season in the NPB.
And while it remains to be seen if the can make it work in the MLB, he’s only committed one error and has a .990 fielding percentage in the outfield. For reference, Kyle Schwarber has played 155 games in the outfield during his three years with the Cubs, registering a .970 field percentage with 6 errors.
On top of the Cubs pursuit of Ohtani, a scout also said the Cubs feel they can acquire free agent starter Yu Darvish as well. According to the source, he said the Cubs feel if they can convince of the Japanese stars, the other is likely to follow. Now, while the finally decision comes down to both Darvish and Ohtani, for the Cubs the risk of paying Darvish to also lock-down Ohtani is worth it.
Currently the market for Darvish has been quite, likely due to Ohtani’s ensuing posting and GM’s battling with agents for a lower asking price. But if the Cubs are serious about upgrading their rotation, adding both Darvish and Ohtani would give them one of the best rotations in baseball.
But Ohtani Doesn’t Want To Play With Another Japanese Superstar
Of course, Jon Morosi reported early Friday morning that Ohtani may prefer to play on a team without a Japanese superstar. Which completely ruins this whole Darvish and Ohtani coming to the Cubs right? Well, I’m not quite sold on that idea yet.
Shohei Ohtani development: Multiple @MLB team execs believe Ohtani may actually prefer to sign with a club that doesn’t already have a Japanese star; Ohtani’s camp has not commented on that. @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 1, 2017
Brandon Laird, Ohtani’s teammate in Japan, gave credence to that idea, saying, “I feel like he just wants to come and not be compared to other guys who have already been here — to start fresh on his own, show what he can do by himself.” @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 1, 2017
While I could see why Ohtani would like to play without someone like Ichiro or Darvish on his club, I’m not sure if that’s truly how he feels. While he is eager to prove himself, you would have to imagine having someone like Darvish on his team would make the cultural transition to America easier. On top of what Darvish brings culturally, he also has been through a similar situation that Ohtani is currently about to go through.
The most important part of the Cubs pitch to Ohtani is about how they are setup to win now and win for the future. That is what Ohtani cares the most about, and it’s hard to argue that the Cubs are not a better team if Yu Darvish is added to the rotation. If Ohtani wants to win, and the Cubs can acquire both he and Darvish, I would find it hard to believe Ohtani would turn down the Cubs offer.
As Jared Diamond from the Wall Street Journal explains, while it might be something he would prefer, it’s not likely to sway him too much from teams like the Yankees – or the Cubs for that matter.
Like @jonmorosi said, I also heard there's a belief that Shohei Ohtani would prefer a team without another Japanese star. Whether that point alone is enough to stop him signing with the Yankees… well, we'll see.
— Jared Diamond (@jareddiamond) December 1, 2017
Ohtani will reportedly be posted at some point Friday, December 1st, and from then on is when all these reports will begin to solidify. Expect an exciting, fast-paced month of December Cubs fans. And never count out Theo Epstein and the Cubs, no matter the circumstance.
