Back to the Texas Rangers Newsfeed

Report: Rangers boast this advantage in sweepstakes for Japanese star Shohei Otani

The Rangers have one tangible advantage in the bidding for Japanese hybrid superstar Shohei Otani, according to the Associated Press: They can offer him the biggest signing bonus of any team in the majors.

But even that tangible advantage is relatively minimal in the world of multi-million dollar sports.

The AP reports the Rangers have $3,535,000 in international bonus pool money still remaining, $285,000 more than the New York Yankees. The Yankees, of course, have their own advantages. They went to the AL Championship Series this season, have the strongest brand in baseball (which could lead to more lucrative endorsement deals) and play in the biggest market.