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Shohei Ohtani, AKA the ‘Babe Ruth of Japan’, will be playing professional baseball in America in 2018. With whom has yet to be decided, but with the 23 year-old only able to sign a rookie-minimum contract, every team will be in play for his services to some degree.
With that in mind, Ohtani's agent has asked for all teams to submit a proposal on why the dual-threat star should sign a contract with them, discussing everything from player development and facilities, to the city the team is located in and how his skills will be put to use.
The Marlins are not thought to be seriously considering Ohtani (although he could immediately become the ace which Miami desperately needs for less than they would pay an over-the-hill veteran, most likely with an unconvincing career history, to try and fill the same gap), but if they carry out due diligence in order to gauge his interest in potentially moving to Miami, their proposal could look something like this:
On player development...
National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner Marcell Ozuna, former Gold Glove winner Christian Yelich, Home Run Derby showstopper Justin Bour, and the most versatile young catcher in baseball, J.T. Realmuto, all rose through the ranks of Miami's minor league system over the past few years and resemble one of the most talented cores in the sport.
And all of that was before Derek Jeter became CEO of the organization and brought in new Vice President of Player Development and Scouting Gary Denbo and a whole host of other talented baseball personnel minds. The farm system looks set to improve dramatically over the coming seasons, meaning that a lot of future stars will shortly be populating the Marlins’ roster.
On facilities...
Marlins Park opened in 2012 and it is still one of the most advanced ballparks in the country. With a comfortable, air-conditioned playing environment, and lots of Miami flair thrown in with the Clevelander bar in left field and the home run sculpture dominating center field, Marlins Park is a unique and fun place in which to play. That exciting atmosphere will only intensify once Jeter instills a winning culture in Miami, and the stands are filled with fans cheering the team on to victory.
On Miami...
Miami is extremely diverse and rich in culture, serving as the link between Latin America and the United States. While the majority of fans in the local area are Latino, the impact that the legendary Ichiro Suzuki had on the franchise was unprecedented, as Japanese fans would flood to the ballpark in impressive numbers to see their hero continue to rack up the hits on his way to Cooperstown. Ichiro put the Marlins on the baseball map in Japan, and there will be even more support for such a generational star who has the talent to set the league alight and break records, possibly following Ichiro into the Hall of Fame one day.
On pitching and hitting...
The team need an ace, as lackluster starting pitching is probably what prevented a playoff run in 2017. A young pitcher who will still be developing and improving upon numbers which are already eye-popping would slide right into the top spot of the rotation and start on Opening Day against the Cubs on national TV. After putting up the best offensive year in franchise history, Giancarlo Stanton may be traded this winter in order to lower payroll, acquire top prospects, and build the franchise for the future. That would leave a huge hole in the lineup, one which could easily be filled by a hitter with a .286 career batting average and .859 OPS in the Japanese League. Just ask Ichiro; he will tell you that Miami is the place to be if you want to hit and pitch.