Bleeding Yankee Blue: OHTANI SAYS "NO THANKS" TO THE YANKS

Monday, December 4, 2017

OHTANI SAYS "NO THANKS" TO THE YANKS

Well, depending on your opinions on the Yankee news this weekend you either had a really crappy baseball weekend or just a somewhat crappy baseball weekend. No matter which way you lean you had some level of disappointment and no one likes to deal with disappointment....especially not Yankee fans.

First, we had to digest the idea of Aaron Boone being announced as our new skipper. Some people really don't mind the idea and some have some reservations.

Photo by Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images

But now the big blow landed late on Sunday when the world found out that Shohei Ohtani said "No thanks" to the Yanks. This is kind of poetic in a weird sort of way. Usually it's the smaller market teams that get pushed aside when it comes to landing big name players. This time, the player isn't as interested in the bigger markets and he has a strong preference for the west coast. I know my team just dismissed from the running here and some may think I should be bitter or whatever, but I'm not!

This kid has never been in it for the money, that's a fact. He could've stayed where he was in Japan with everything he knows and loves. He's a star back home. He could've played on his team and made big money back home with everyone that is important to him....but he didn't. Instead, he wants to come to another country and see how he competes again MLB's finest. He's a gamer. I can't dislike that.

I can only dislike the outcome here. If there is any upside to this it is that Ohtani also said "no" to the Mets and the Red Sox. In fact, there are many other teams that have already been dismissed from round two of the Ohtani sweepstakes, MLB Trade Rumors is keeping an updated timeline HERE.

So while many media outlets reported that the Yankees were heavy favorites to get Ohtani but Brian Cashman was not surprised that the Yankees were eliminated from consideration. According to NJ.com HERE the Yankees prepared an "impressive" presentation that Ohtani and his agent were both impressed with but he somehow had the feeling that the Yankees were out of the running and in fact, never really a contender.

Photo: Sporting News

It goes to show you just how much rumors and scouts can hype the Yankees as favorites, but in person Cashman had a completely different vibe on the situation. It sounds like Ohtani really wants a smaller market team and on the west coast.

It sucks to hear "no" but at least the Yankees were told early enough and now they can refocus their energy on moves that have potential. Now that Ohtani is off the Yankees radar they can revisit the rotation and think about if or how CC Sabathia and Chance Adams fits into the rotation. Or maybe another free agent pitcher. Who knows.

So I guess baseball fans everywhere wait and see what happens in round two of the Ohtani sweepstakes and what team is the winner. I said the Mariners were the sleepers in this and shouldn't be counted out. I think it comes down to the Giants or the Mariners....and right now Dipoto and the Mariners are throwing everything including the kitchen sink at this kid. It will be interesting to see what happens especially when we see Ohtani for the first time.

Not getting Ohtani sucks....but it's time for Plan B. Whatever that is but trust in Cashman. He got us this far, right?