How the Reds could land Japanese star Shohei Ohtani

Dick Williams can see Shohei Ohtani in a Reds uniform, even if others scoff at the idea.

The Reds general manager says the team has “serious interest” in signing Ohtani, even if it’s a long shot for many reasons. But, he notes, it’s not impossible.

Ohtani is the most sought-after free agent on the market this year. He’s 23 and is both an elite starting pitcher and power hitter. All 30 teams are expected to at least make some pitch for Ohtani’s services, in part, because he’ll come at a $197 million-or-so discount.

More: Shohei Ohtani asked MLB teams for their best pitch; here's who offers a good fit

The No. 1 thing for the Reds to land Ohtani, according to insiders, is that Ohtani has to want to come to Cincinnati. That’s up to the Reds, led by Williams, to make that case.

“Clearly, for him, now is the time he wants to come over. I really can’t speak to what’s going in his head, but that indicates to me that he wants to get here and he wants to embark on accomplishing the goals he’s set for himself,” Williams said Monday. “That gives us some optimism we can make a case for why we would present a good opportunity. We've put ourselves in a good position for the next couple of years. He might find it an attractive fit for what he's looking for. But you’re really guessing as to what it is that motivates him.”

What makes the Ohtani recruitment different than any other free-agent signing is that Ohtani’s actions already show that this decision is about more than just the team that can offer him the most money. If Ohtani were searching for the most money in any deal, he would wait two years before coming to the United States. According to the collective bargaining agreement, no team can offer more than its international signing bonus pool. For now, the Texas Rangers can offer the most money to Ohtani ($3,535,000), followed by the Yankees ($3.5 million). Some teams can still add to their bonus pool by trading for bonus pool money.

On the other hand, 12 teams, including the Reds, can offer only a $300,000 bonus to Ohtani to entice him to sign with their teams after exceeding their bonus pool in previous years. The other teams unable to spend more than $300,000 on any player are the Royals, Cardinals, Padres, Athletics, Braves, Cubs, Astros, Dodgers, White Sox, Giants and Nationals. Six other teams can offer even less.

Major League Baseball is expected to agree to a new posting system agreement between MLB and Nippon Professional Baseball on Friday. Ohtani is expected to be posted by his team shortly afterward.

Each team can offer the $20 million posting fee and Ohtani will be free to pick his future team.

After signing, teams can offer only a standard minor-league contract. Ohtani would then earn either the league-minimum or close to it for the first three years of his MLB career, like any other young player. He would then have three years of arbitration eligibility becoming eligible for free agency following the 2023 season.

“It’s a different set of circumstances than we’re used to,” Williams said. “Usually the money is such an important part of the process. This time around, there’s more of the communicating and the sales points. That’s unique, that’s different than a typical free-agent negotiation.”

Ohtani’s background, though, gives teams hope. Ohtani is from a small town and his team, the Nippon Ham Fighters, are based in Sapporo, a city of comparable size to Cincinnati. According to reports, he still lived in the team’s dorm while with the Fighters. Other reports say his parents control his finances, with his mother depositing just $1,000 a month into his bank account. That, according to his high school baseball coach, goes nearly untouched.

If money is a concern, there are always endorsements. Ohtani, one of the most famous people in Japan, will make plenty in endorsements, if he so chooses, in Japan, no matter his big-league uniform.

Williams made a trip to Japan in September and watched Ohtani’s final game at home. However, he did not speak to Ohtani, nor was the trip solely about Ohtani. He did, however, meet with officials of Ohtani’s team. The Reds are the only MLB team that has never had a Japanese player but have expanded their scouting and interest in Asia under Williams.

A glimpse into what Ohtani values came Friday, when his agent, Nez Balelo, sent out a questionnaire to all 30 MLB teams. According to the Associated Press, the questionnaire “asks for a team to evaluate Ohtani’s talent as a pitcher and as a hitter; to explain its player development, medical training and player performance philosophies and facilities; to describe its minor league and spring training facilities; to detail resources for Ohtani’s cultural assimilation into the team’s city; to demonstrate a vision for how Ohtani could integrate into the team’s organization; and to tell Ohtani why the team is a desirable place to play.”

Balelo’s memo asked for teams to provide its answers in both English and Japanese as soon as possible. It also specified not to include financial offers.

More: Ohtani's agent asks MLB teams for written answers

Balelo is also the agent for Reds manager Bryan Price, his minor-league teammate in the Mariners’ farm system.

Many have posited that an American League team that could offer Ohtani a chance to serve as a designated hitter on days he’s not pitching. The Reds can’t do the same thing, but Williams said there is a plan the team has formulated that would give him “a significant amount of at-bats and at the same time pursue pitching.” Last year the Reds used reliever Michael Lorenzen as a pinch-hitter.

In the end, he would have to choose the Reds. Will that happen? Nobody seems to know. Williams and the Reds’ front office are willing to give it their best shot and ready to lay the case before Ohtani and his representatives. The Reds have been unexpected international winners before, coming out of nowhere to land Aroldis Chapman in 2010.

“I can't speak to what (Ohtani) likes or doesn’t like, but I can speak to the fact that we're a proud franchise with a long history. We’ve succeeded, we have a long track record of success despite a smaller-market team," Williams said. "We think we're a very attractive city to live in with passionate fans. We think the franchise is in a really strong position going forward as a result of the investments we've made the last couple of seasons with a lot of good trades, good drafts, international signings. We’ve done a lot of work to put ourselves in a position to succeed going forward. So we think that now is a good time for a player to be joining the Reds."