Thinking about Millar

[RichG]

I was thinking about the Millar/Japan/Boston situation and it sure sounds to me similar (except for not so little point there's a contract between Millar and the Japanese team) to the Steinbrenner/David Wells agreement last year.

I remember reading Steinbrenner getting lots of grief for that deal. I read the Boston Globe online a few times a week, what's the Boston opinion of what's happening?

[gyb13]

last year, Wells had a verbal (i think) agreement with the Diamondbacks, then decided to sign with the Yankees.

this year, Florida shopped Millar to a bunch of teams (including Boston), but when they couldn't get anything they wanted in return, they instead sold him to Japan (thus getting cash in the deal). There is usually an informal agreement that teams will not place waiver claims for players sold to Japan. However, Boston did so anyways. Millar has enough years in MLB to be able to choose whether or not to accept the claim and he rejected it. Boston insisted and offered Agbayani and cash to the Japanese team, which declined. Now it seems Millar may be thinking again about his decision.

[SmedIndy]

Well, perhaps Boston told him they would beat their price, guaranteed.

Too bad, I think he'd like to go to Chen Kinishi's restaurant.

[RichG]

Originally posted by gyb13
last year, Wells had a verbal (i think) agreement with the Diamondbacks, then decided to sign with the Yankees.

this year, Florida shopped Millar to a bunch of teams (including Boston), but when they couldn't get anything they wanted in return, they instead sold him to Japan (thus getting cash in the deal).

The way I understand it, Millar AGREED to a contract with the Japanese team before his 'rights' were sold to Japan. A player's rights aren't transferred to a Japanese or Korean league without the player's blessings.

The point I was trying to make was if the Yankees intervened and did what the Red Sox appear to have done to date there'd be screaming going on but I haven't heard anyone taking potshots at the Sox.

Personally, I don't think the Sox are wrong to put in the waiver claim, I just hope they didn't contact Millar or his agent, or get 'word' to them to try to get him to break his contract.

[gyb13]

The Chunichi Dragons are giving up on trying to convince Millar to play for him. Now, what happens next - does he get sent back to Florida? become a free agent and posted (auctioned) back to the majors?

[WiredTiger]

Originally posted by SmedIndy
Too bad, I think he'd like to go to Chen Kinishi's restaurant. He'll have to settle for fellow Food TVer Ming Tsai's restaurant Blue Ginger.

[gyb13]

http://espn.go.com/mlb/news/2003/0207/1505628.html

no news yet on whether he'd have to go through the same 'auction' system as players like Ichiro underwent

[Duque]

Millar did have more than a verbal agreement with Chuinichi, which could have been really nasty and held him to his contract. Instead, they seem willing to let him go, for a price. The danger here is other players using this underhanded way to become free agents before their time is up.

[sweaver]

Millar has apparently secured his release from Chunichi, by having the Marlins buy out the contract, and is headed to Boston, to alternate with Giambi and Ortiz at 1B/DH, or perhaps replace Trot Nixon in RF if he is traded.

[gyb13]

this whole story stinks