Chunichi Dragons: Tony Blanco satisfied with how much team is offering, but wants two years
by Gen on Oct.25, 2012 @ 11:29 pm, under NPB
Tony Blanco left for the Dominican Republic out of Chubu Kokusai Airport today. Before leaving, he spoke to reporters and said, "My feelings are in Nagoya. I am satisfied with the amount they are offering me and I would like to return."
He also said he would feel more comfortable with a two-year deal, which could mean the two sides have moved on to discussing the length of the contract -- the Dragons are said to be offering a one-year deal.
Source: Sponichi 10/25/2012
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UPDATE 10/26 @ 5:55pm -
According to Sponichi, the Dragons offered Blanco a two-year deal worth 400M yen. Source: Sponichi 10/26/2012
Sports Hochi Osaka reports a one-year deal worth 170M yen. Source: Sports Hochi Osaka 10/26/2012
Tags: Chunichi Dragons, Tony Blanco
I hope the Dragons resign Blanco, but I’ll be happy if he stayed in Japan for any team.
I do too, but what do we need to win a championship?!
It would be nice if they ponied up the money and kept him. He has value because he’s been in the NPB and with the Dragons for several years now and has been pretty consistent, so you know what you’ll get from him. I don’t see him as irreplaceable though. There are lots of foreign 1B-types out there.
Maybe there’s a lot of them but a lot fewer of them who you know integrate well with the team and culture. I think that’s one of the key values of a veteran foreign player.
Chunichi would do quite well to re-sign Blanco, I think.
True, it would be a much safer move to keep him if they could agree on a contract. There is a chance that they could find someone better than a .260 hitter with the same power, but the new guy could crash and burn as well. If they did miss, they would be in real trouble, there isn’t a whole lot of pop elsewhere in their lineup. Bottom line, I’d like Blanco to stay.
I never understood why they didn’t resign Woods a few years back, as he was always killing the ball for them. There’s always private dynamics we normal folks don’t get to see or hear about, I suppose.
Tony seems like a good, genial guy though. I’d love him on my team.
Woods was just too expensive. They had to pay a lot of money to get him from Yokohama and then he kept producing so they didnt have any reason to decrease his salary.
They finally just decided that they would take less production for less money and they signed Blanco to a cheapo deal for his first year, lucky for them he turned out to be good.
Now it is time to pay Blanco, if nothing else to make up for the first few years when they were paying little and getting lots. Or they let him go like they did Woods and hire another cheap guy and hope he turns out as good as Blanco.
Besides he would have reached 40 before the 2009 season was over. I think he hasn’t played professional baseball since then.
Blanco did a great job during the Climax Series this year. He deserves a good contract. I’m sure he will stay at NPB.
I began my first comment talking about Tyrone Woods.