The Pirates are in the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes after all.
Neal Huntington said Wednesday night on 93.7 The Fan that the Pirates will do "everything in our power" to sell Ohtani, the Japanese 23-year-old pitcher/outfielder, on signing with the club this offseason.
However, can the Pirates compete with other clubs for a once-in-a-generation talent like Ohtani? Although they are one of only six teams capable of offering Ohtani a seven-figure signing bonus, money is not the only factor in play.
"We believe we can help this young man become a superstar over here," Huntington said.
That's for Ohtani to decide. The 6-foot-5, two-way player is now free to negotiate with all 30 teams. Whoever lands his services will be required to pay a $20 million fee to Ohtani's team in Japan, the Nippon Ham Fighters.
But teams are limited in the signing bonus they can offer by the amount of money they have available in the international bonus pool. The Rangers ($3.53 million) and Yankees ($3.5 million) — both of which are leading candidates for his services — have the most to offer. The Twins also have over $3 million, followed by the Pirates ($2.66 million), Marlins ($1.74 million) and Mariners ($1.57 million).
Aside from the bonus money, Ohtani would then sign a standard minor-league contract and would make the major-league minimum as a rookie, then be subject to standard raises before arbitration and eligible for free agency after six seasons of service time. He'll be required to make his decision by Dec. 22.
Base salary isn't much of a concern to Ohtani, though. After all, he would have been able to negotiate a much longer contract had he waited two more years to leave Japan, which was the case with Yu Darvish and Masahiro Tanaka. He would have likely received a contract in excess of $100 million if he chose to wait.
Ohtani's already making millions in endorsements in Japan and that will continue once his playing career begins in the United States. He has spoken of wanting to test his skills at the highest level, and he wants to do so as a rare two-way player.
Yeah, he's that good:
Shohei Ohtani:
✅ can pitch over 100 MPH
✅ once hit a homer through a roof
✅has MLB teams tripping over each other to sign him pic.twitter.com/yHVvpQKcsq
— SB Nation (@SBNation) November 29, 2017
Ohtani throws a 100-mph fastball to complement a splitter and slider. Although he made just five starts in 2017 because of an ankle injury that required surgery after the season, in 2016 he went 10-4 with a 1.86 ERA and 174 strikeouts in 140 innings. Over the past two seasons, the left-handed hitter batted .324 with 30 home runs in 525 at-bats.
Yes, he could be a designated hitter for an American League team on the days he does not pitch, but signing in the National League would allow him to be a pinch-hitter every game. That would make a National League club an intriguing option, and the Pirates are ahead of the pack in bonus money.
He would be the top-of-the-rotation starter the club lacks, and he would provide power to a lineup that ranked 29th in Major League Baseball in home runs this season. More important, his impact could push the Pirates back into the postseason. The club can sell him on playing in a lineup that features Andrew McCutchen, a former National League MVP, Starling Marte, Josh Bell, Gregory Polanco and Josh Harrison.
The Marlins won't be much of an option for Ohtani since their new front office has made it clear they intend to sell off their assets this offseason.
But would the Pirates ownership be willing to pay the price of landing such a player when their payroll for 2018 is currently approaching $103 million, which would be a franchise record on Opening Day? Ohtani's agent will surely ask them what their plans are if the player regarded as the Japanese Babe Ruth signs with the Pirates.
MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported Wednesday that the Giants remain in contact with the Pirates regarding a trade for McCutchen. The Twins are reportedly interested in Gerrit Cole, and Harrison's name will surely surface in trade rumors.
Ohtani will want assurances that the club will remain intact, but that is unlikely to happen. Adding a player of his caliber while holding onto the rest of the roster could help with the next television contract.
The price tag is also a bargain considering Ohtani's talent and the contracts top free agents will sign in the coming weeks. Yet, Ohtani could choose less bonus money to sign with a club in a bigger market that could lead to more endorsement money, such as the Dodgers.
It's also important to remember Huntington's philosophy on using such a large amount of the bonus pool on one player.
"We generally prefer the larger quantity vs. the large bet in a young international player," Huntington told MLB.com without specifically mentioning Ohtani. "But we've made the bigger splash before, and there are some situations out there where we held the money for various reasons. One of them could be to add depth and talent to our system this offseason."
The Pirates paid only a $5 million posting fee for Jung Ho Kang in January 2015, and Kang was 27 years old at the time, so he was able to negotiate a four-year, $11 million contract. They could also choose to pursue the 13 prospects the Braves were forced to release after the club's many rule violations.
None of those players will help the Pirates win now, though. McCutchen is entering the final year of his contract, a team option that will pay him $14.5 million. Adding Ohtani would signal to the fan base that the club is truly trying to return to postseason contention.
The bottom line is that Huntington and the Pirates could be willing to pay the price, but it's up to Ohtani if he wants to pick Pittsburgh over New York, Los Angeles, Boston or Texas.