One of MLB’s biggest questions of the winter has finally been answered. Shohei Ohtani is heading back to Los Angeles, this time as a member of the Dodgers.
Although the past few days have been ridden with rumors galore, the two-way superstar announced on Saturday afternoon that he has agreed to a whopping 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers. Speculation was running rampant on Friday, as some bloggers continued to track flight manifests while others claimed the 29-year-old slugger finalized a deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, according to their own special sources.
Regardless, fans of the Dodgers now have a better idea what their favorite club might look like offensively, whenever Ohtani is cleared to play. Although it is already speculated that the Japanese superstar will not pitch in 2024, there are some rumblings that he may not be ready to hit by the time Opening Day rolls around.
According to Mark Polishuk at MLBTR, “more details should become available as we get closer to spring training, though that isn’t a sure bet given Ohtani and agent Nez Balelo’s tendencies to keep quiet on specifics. Ohtani’s last few months have been marked by a somewhat unprecedented level of secrecy about not just his health, but any hints about his free agent market. It was made clear by Balelo that if any team in the chase leaked details, it would be held against them.”
Last week, Los Angeles skipper Dave Roberts made the news when he confirmed to reporters that Ohtani did indeed meet with representatives of the Dodgers. Some pundits at the time actually believed the manager’s slip could have affected Ohtani’s decision.
What we know right now is that the majority of Ohtani’s record-breaking contract will be deferred. However, there likely won’t be any specifics until the team makes the contract official. Either way, the deferred cash helps the Dodgers pursue additional talent this winter by keeping the luxury tax lower.
Obviously, the Ohtani signing leaves no room to sign J.D. Martinez, who was one of several key offensive contributors for Los Angeles last year. It also means that Max Muncy will probably be relegated to playing third base every day, especially after Roberts confirmed that Mookie Betts will be the club’s everyday second baseman heading into Opening Day.
The Dodgers apparently wanted Ohtani from the beginning, but pulled back on the reigns after he was posted because of the lack of the designated hitter in the National League. According to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, “the Dodgers scouted Ohtani as far back as high school and tried to sign him under GM Ned Colletti as a teenager before Ohtani was drafted into the Japanese professional ranks. The Dodgers initially wanted Ohtani as a pitcher, but he opted to stay in Japan and establish himself as a two-way player.”
Ohtani earned his second-career MVP award last season after leading the majors with a .654 slugging percentage and a 1.066 OPS.