Shohei Ohtani will sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers, with his agent Nez Balilo saying the two-time star will receive a 10-year, $700 million contract.
Otani Posted on Instagram He said Saturday that he will play for his former crosstown rival starting next season after spending six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels.
“I pledge to always do what is best for the team and to always continue to do everything in my power to be the best version of myself. Until the last day of my playing career, I want to continue striving forward not only for the Dodgers but for the world of baseball,” Ohtani wrote. .
The contract is the largest in baseball history at more than $250 million, surpassing the 12-year, $426.5 million contract that former teammate Mike Trout signed in 2019. The average annual salary of $70 million also easily beats the record The previous $43.3 million for Justin. Verlander and Max Scherzer.
Ohtani, 29, is the first player in baseball history to be named unanimous MVP on multiple occasions, an honor bestowed upon him twice in the past three years. During that span, he defied tradition as he excelled as both a pitcher and a hitter while becoming the first two-way player in Major League Baseball since Babe Ruth pitched both roles more than a century ago.
Only a gentle elbow could stop him.
Ohtani learned of a new tear in his ulnar collateral ligament — his second injury in five years — on August 23, near the end of the Angels’ third consecutive outstanding season. Nearly four weeks later, he underwent what was vaguely described as a hybrid version of Tommy John surgery. The man who performed the procedure, Dr. Neil El-Atrash, wrote in a statement that Ohtani would be ready to hit “without any restrictions by Opening Day of 2024” and resume his role as a two-way player by 2025, but the details of his procedure were elusive.
Ohtani’s potential free agency run has also been secret, with not much known publicly about his preferences other than a desire to continue his two-way aspirations.
His Instagram post included an apology for “taking so long to reach a decision.” He also publicly thanked the Angels and their fans.
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all those involved in the Angels organization and fans who have supported me over the past six years, as well as to all those involved with each team that has been part of this negotiation process,” Ohtani wrote. “Especially for the Angels fans who have supported me through all the ups and downs, your support and encouragement means a lot to me. The six years I spent with the Angels will remain etched in my heart forever.”
The Dodgers improved from 8-1 to 6-1 to win the World Series after Ohtani’s announcement and are now the consensus favorite ahead of the Atlanta Braves at sportsbooks across the country.
Ohtani joined the Angels in 2018, leaving Japan early as an international free agent, which significantly hampered his earning potential on the open market.
Practically every MLB lined up to sign him, but Ohtani, to the surprise of many, chose the Angels and the relief they would offer him. He struggled to adapt throughout his first spring training but flourished as a pitcher and hitter during the first two months of his rookie season in 2018. A Grade 2 MLB sprain, discovered in early June 2018, forced him to retire as a pitcher — and pushed him He eventually had to have his first Tommy John surgery, after non-surgical treatment failed – but it didn’t stop him from winning the American League Rookie of the Year award.
Ohtani navigated the 2018 and 2019 seasons primarily as a designated hitter, with an .884 OPS and 40 home runs in 210 games.
He then struggled mightily as a pitcher and hitter during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. These struggles have led to an offseason turnaround. Ohtani spent the next winter improving his diet, studying his biomechanics on the mound and seeing a host of live pitches in the batter’s box, then watched them translate into a magical showing in 2021 spring training.
Under general manager Perry Minasian and then-manager Joe Maddon, the Angels removed the previous restrictions that had prevented Ohtani from hitting in his starting days and essentially granted him complete independence during his playing time.
It helped launch one of the most impressive three-year tours ever.
From 2021 to 2023, Ohtani slashed .277/.379/.585 while compiling 124 home runs, 22 triples, and 57 stolen bases as a slugger. As a pitcher, he won 34 games and posted a 2.84 ERA in 74 starts, striking out 542 batters in 428 1/3 innings. With the weighted run created additionally, he was more productive than Juan Soto, Freddie Freeman, and Bryce Harper. By pitching independently, he was better than Max Scherzer, Blake Snell and Dylan Cease. Only Aaron Judge’s record-breaking 62-homer season in 2022 prevents Ohtani from having three straight MVPs.
This offseason, teams lined up for a chance to sign a relatively young free agent with an unprecedented skill set — astonishing power, plus speed, elite arm strength and the ability to spin devastating pitches — and unique marketability. Many were intimidated by the hefty price tag and were concerned about his ability to return as a pitcher, but many also put that aside for the chance to land the most unique free agent prospect in baseball history.
In the end, the Dodgers won.
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