Baseball: A Two-Way Player-Chapter 638 - 6: In-Depth Negotiation (Part 2)
Besides, a large number of pedestrians and baseball fans have arrived at the scene, many wearing baseball caps with NY or LA logos, clearly fans of the two teams—many holding placards expressing their wish for Lin Guanglai to join the Dodgers/Yankees, including numerous foreign faces among them.
In such a grand setup, the Los Angeles Dodgers' President of Baseball Operations, Andrew Friedman, and their coach Dave Roberts, have arrived at the scene, accompanied by the Japanese player Kenta Maeda who just joined the team last year.
After a simple greeting between the parties, Friedman represented the Dodgers to express their desire for Lin Guanglai: "Lin, Mr. Agent, thank you for giving the Dodgers this opportunity to meet—you know, what you're evaluating isn't just which team to join, but the foundation of the player's life and career for decades to come, and in that regard, the Dodgers can provide everything you need."
"Los Angeles is a global center of entertainment, technology, and trend culture; joining the Dodgers, players will naturally integrate into this network: film premieres, top commercial endorsements, tech investment opportunities... With Lin's appearance and athletic prowess, in Los Angeles, his influence off the field will expand exponentially and eventually radiate to the whole world—the Dodgers are the jewel in the crown of Los Angeles, and Lin's arrival will be the most dazzling gem on the crown."
"The Greater Los Angeles area has the largest and most diverse Asian community in the United States: from Irvine to San Gabriel Valley, the player and his family can easily find the perfect living circle and cultural sense of belonging; this place can completely become your home in the United States."
Besides these, Friedman doesn't forget to take a jab at one of their main competitors, the Yankees: "Lin, I know the Yankees are also pursuing you, but trust me, in New York's damp and cold winter, you definitely won't enjoy it; whereas Los Angeles boasts a mild Mediterranean climate year-round, meaning fewer games canceled due to weather, and a more comfortable training and living environment, all of which are beneficial for you to maintain peak performance all year round."
"Moreover, the Dodgers have MLB's most advanced sports science, injury prevention, and performance analytics team—with the grand project of Dual Swordsmanship, we will provide you with exclusive resources, making long-term investments, monitoring every load, optimizing every appearance—our goal is to keep Lin at peak performance for the next ten years or even longer, gradually becoming the best player in the world."
As the head coach, Roberts approaches from the team building perspective, showcasing the vast prospects for Lin Guanglai at a competitive level upon joining the Dodgers:
Like the Seattle Mariners, the Dodgers are one of MLB's teams that value the Asian market most, having signed Asian players multiple times in history; now in their team, not only do they have Maeda Kenta, the ace of the former Japan Team, but also South Korea's Ryu Hyun-jin, making it one of the teams with the most Asian players—if Lin Guanglai joins the Dodgers, integrating into the locker room won't be a problem. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮
In terms of roster competitiveness, the Dodgers are also among the top tier, having reached the National League Championship Series three times in the past four years, with roster immediate combat power, depth, and potential being unmatched in the league:
Core lineup members include powerful players like Corey Seager, Justin Turner, and Adrian Gonzalez, while the pitching rotation boasts historic legendary left-hander Clayton Kershaw at the helm, with young talents like Julio Urias, Cody Bellinger, and Walker Buehler in the farm system.
Given the main star Kershaw's performance in the playoffs over the years has often been unsatisfactory, in Roberts's words, their main reason to pursue Lin Guanglai is hoping he, as the core member of SoftBank, the dynasty team, can be the key variable for the Dodgers to go further, posing a strong mindset and capability in games in October and even November, helping the team take that crucial step forward.
Additionally, Friedman and Roberts jointly promised that as long as Lin Guanglai makes a name in the U.S., the team will inevitably build the roster around him in the future, with absolute financial and resource backing to meet all of Lin Guanglai's needs.
The Dodgers truly are the Dodgers, showing their worth right from the outset—in Friedman and Roberts's speeches, the bright future like the sun is fully laid out before Lin Guanglai; at least from the content they've promised, from any aspect, the Dodgers platform can satisfy all of Lin Guanglai's ambitions.
If one were to nitpick what might not satisfy Lin Guanglai, perhaps it could only be the lack of a designated hitter rule in the National League; but that's Major League's issue, not the Dodgers' — at least after conversing with the Dodgers team, this team immediately leaps to the forefront in Lin Guanglai's mind.
Having sent off Friedman and Roberts, now, only the last team remains.
As Brian Cashman, Joe Girardi, and translator Masahiro Tanaka walk into the meeting location, their mood at this moment is somewhat solemn:
