Will the Nationals pursue Shohei Ohtani? What about suddenly free Braves
prospects?
By Chelsea Janes November 22
文章来源：https://goo.gl/1KCEyJ
Late Tuesday, Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball came to
an agreement on a new posting system, according to reports by the New York
Post, Yahoo Sports, and others. That agreement will allow Japanese star
Shohei Ohtani to sign with any of the 30 MLB teams and will consequently set
off an unprecedented recruiting frenzy for what many describe as an
unprecedented talent.
本周二，根据纽约邮报、雅虎体育和其他媒体的报导，大联盟与日职终于决定了本季的
入札制度，这项协议将允许大联盟三十支球队都有机会能与这位来自日本的超级巨星签约
，为了这位号称史上最具天分的球员，一场史无前例的竞逐大战即将开始。
Ohtani, 23, is known for his prolific power and prolific fastball, which has
hit 102 mph. He tantalizes dreamers with the promise of a legitimate two-way
player not seen since Babe Ruth and entices professional evaluators with the
potential for a front-line starter who can chip in offensively now and then,
too. Any team could use a player like that, including the Nationals. Will
they pursue him?
大谷翔平，这位年仅二十三岁的球员，以他的爆发力与102mph的快速球闻名，
同时他也是继Baby Ruth后，第一位正统的二刀流选手，他也被评估具有直接进入前段
先发轮值的潜力，这些条件对所有的大联盟球队而前，都是不可抗拒的诱惑。而现在每个
球队都有机会拥有这位球员，包括国民队。那，国民队会竞逐他吗?
The short answer is sure. Who wouldn’t? One of Nationals General Manager
Mike Rizzo’s most-used phrases is “due diligence,” which usually refers to
showing an interest in a free agent or making calls on potential trades. You
call. You ask. You see what it would take. The Nationals will do their due
diligence on Ohtani, whatever they determine that is.
简单回答的话，那自然是无庸置疑的，谁会不愿意?
如国民队GM Mike Rizzo最常用的名词“尽职调查”，一般都会出现在当他对于一个FA有
兴趣，或是被问到一个潜在的交易时的回答，你会尽所能的去评估并了解需要付出的代价
，不论国民队最终的决定为何，他们一定会对大谷做出尽职调查。
* 尽职调查，指在进行任何交易或签署合约前，对于合约或相关交易人的调查。这类的
调查可让决策者有更多系统化的资讯，以对其成本、利益、风险有更多的理解以做出最
佳的决策。
But logistically, they simply cannot mount the kind of pursuit that other
teams can. Under the reported terms of that posting agreement, whichever team
signs Ohtani must pay his Japanese team, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters,
$20 million. For the Nationals, conservative and slow-moving in their
spending all around, that fee sounds prohibitively high.
但理性来说，国民队完全无法像其他队一样，负担得起追逐大谷所需的支出。
根据入札协议，不论是哪一队获得与大谷的议约权，都必须支付火腿队两千万美金的转
队费。对财政保守的国民队来说，这无疑是一笔过高的支出。
Even if it weren’t, the Nationals are crippled by their recent international
spending. The Nationals blew by their 2016 international bonus pool when they
spent nearly $5 million on more than a dozen players in a year they were
allotted just $2.35 million — a signing class those within the organization
think could yield one or two bona fide major leaguers, though they are still
teenagers and therefore years away.
即使国民队愿意出钱，但他们在近期的国际球员签约金上也会有大问题。
在2016年，国民队花了将近五百万美金签了超过一打的国际球员，但他们的签约金上限
却只有三百三十五万美金。这个上限是联盟认为足以让他们签一至两位货真价实、具有
进入大联盟球场实力的年轻球员。
But in keeping with the penalties outlined in the old collective bargaining
agreement — penalties that carry over into this year’s July 2 period — the
league penalized the Nationals by limiting them to a maximum of $300,000 on
any one bonus over the next two seasons. As a result, they can only offer
Ohtani $300,000 as a signing bonus. The Rangers and Yankees, not under
penalty and with the two biggest international pools available, can commit
around $3.5 million.
也因此，根据旧版的CBA，在今年度七月二号开始的这个国际球员签约期间，
国民队在未来两年给予每位国际球员的签约金不得超过三十万美金。换句话说，国民队
只能提供大谷三十万美金的签约金，而游骑兵或洋基队除了不受此限制外，他们目前还
用有全联盟前二高的国际球员签约额度，大约剩三百五十万美金左右。
Still, had Ohtani waited two years until he was 25, he would not have been
subject to signing bonus limits that govern the way teams acquire younger
international talent. If money were the only concern, he would have waited
two seasons, at which time he could have earned tens of millions more. The
former Nippon Baseball MVP is reportedly more interested in the chance to
compete in the world’s most talent-rich league, and to do so both as a
pitcher and hitter.
若大谷愿意再多等两年，等到他超过25岁的话，他将不受国际球员签约限制。
若金钱事他唯一考量的话，他就会愿意多等两季，届时他将可以获得超过千万美金的
签约金。但这位前日职MVP球员似乎对能与全世界最佳球员一同竞争的机会更有兴趣，
不论是以投手或打者的身分。
In that realm, like the financial one, the Nationals can offer Ohtani far
less than other teams. Their starting lineup is all but set. Their rotation,
while in need of help, is not desperate for a front-line starter around which
they would be willing to reconfigure their schedule so that Ohtani — used to
pitching once a week — could transition comfortably. American League teams
can offer the designated hitter and wouldn’t need Ohtani to play the field
as he did as an outfielder for the Fighters.
在金钱方面，国民队只能提供大谷远少于其他队的签约金。
而他们的先发轮值也相对完整，他们的轮值虽然可以再更好，但并不是非要一个前段先发
不可。若他们获得了大谷，为了要让大谷能顺利地适应大联盟，他们可能得重新安排先发
的日程，毕竟大谷过去以投手身分的出赛频率是每周一次而已。此外，若是个美联球队，
或许还可提供DH的位置给大谷，这样他就不需像以往在日职得以外野手的身分出场。
Besides, the Nationals do not have a history of chasing Asian-born players
under Rizzo’s watch. Much like their reticence to spend on Cuban players,
who command huge deals before proving anything in MLB, the Nationals have
been cautious in their approach to Asian talent, largely because of the
belief that comparable, more proven talent is available in other marketplaces
— for more manageable prices.
况且在Rizzo主政的时期，国民队并没有竞逐亚洲球员的例子。
如同他们看待古巴球员一样，他们认为签一个古巴球员需要在球员还没证明自己有能力
站稳大联盟前，就要花费非常大笔的钱，因此国民队鲜少花钱在古巴球员身上，也因此
他们看待亚洲球员时，也是持相同态度，变得相当谨慎。他们会认为相较之下，他们可以
从其他管道获得一些已证明自己身手的球员，且所花费的金额是他们能够负担的。
In other words, Ohtani seems unlikely to find his way to Washington. But he
is not the only remarkable talent available on the international market.
也就是说，大谷前往国民队的机率似乎不高，
但大谷并非今年国际球员市场中唯一耀眼的球员。
Tuesday, MLB announced the results of its investigation into the Atlanta
Braves’ international dealings. Among the punishments levied on the Nationals
’ division rivals was the release of a dozen international prospects the
Braves signed during the last three international signing periods. One of
them, Venezuelan Kevin Maitan, is a highly touted 17-year-old shortstop the
Braves originally signed for $4.2 million. Maitan was ranked 72nd on Baseball
America’s midseason top 100 but has received less-positive reviews as a
professional than he did during his much-discussed amateur days.
在礼拜二，大联盟宣布他们对于亚特兰大勇士队在国际球员市场交易行为的调查
结果，勇士队必须释出他们在过去三个国际球员签约期间所签下的十二名新秀。其中来自
委内瑞拉的Kevin Maitan就是一名相当有名的游击新秀，勇士队给了他四百二十万签约金
。在BA季中的百大新秀中他只排名72，对他能否成为职业球员的评价与他在业余时期
相当热烈的讨论度相比似乎有所下降。
According to reports from the Athletic, the New York Post and others, the
released Braves prospects will be subject to the same bonus pool rules as any
other — though teams can use either their remaining money from their 2017-18
July 2 funds, or from next season’s (but not a combination of both). The
Nationals’ penalties for overspending in 2016 extend to next season, meaning
the most they can offer any of the Braves prospects is $300,000. Other teams
will likely be willing and able to offer Maitan, and others, more.
根据Athletic、纽约邮报与其他媒体的报导，这些被释出的勇士新秀将受到相同的
签约金规定限制，其他球队可以用他们今年七月二号开始的2017-2018国际球员签约期
内他们所剩的金额来签这些球员，或是利用下一季的签约期所拥有的签约金金额来签下
这些球员(但是不能够跨季计算)。国民队因超过国际球员签约金上限而受到的惩罚
将导致他们在未来两季所能提供给这批勇士队球员的签约金最高不得超过三十万美金。
而其他球队，如果他们愿意，将能够提供包括Maitan在内的其他球员更高的签约金。