Good news: A great announcement has been made by Los Angeles Bulldogs player Shohei Ohtani to…
Shohei Ohtani, a unique talent who doesn’t require an introduction, started his new chapter with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday, but not before receiving one in Hollywood.
“I can’t wait to join the Dodgers,” Ohtani stated during his debut news conference. “They share the same passion as I do, they have a vision and history all about winning, and I share the same values.”
following a historic six-year stint with the Los Angeles Angels, where he signed in December 2017 following five seasons in Japan with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, Ohtani was arguably the most sought-after free agent in MLB history this winter. The sports world was enthralled with his free agency, and on December 9, he made his much-awaited announcement on Instagram.
“There are a lot of reasons why I chose the Dodgers, so there’s not really one,” he remarked. “After the negotiation process was over, I had meetings with a few clubs. To be honest, all of the teams I spoke with and met with were excellent, so I had a hard time choosing. Ultimately, I had to select just one team, and I went with the Dodgers.
Ohtani made his debut wearing the team’s recognizable home uniform on stage alongside Dodgers owner Mark Walter, agent Nez Balelo, and interpreter Ippei Mizuhara from the Angels. Andrew Friedman is the team’s president of baseball operations.
He would not provide specifics on his talks with other teams (the Toronto Blue Jays were thought to be a serious candidate to sign him) or the specifics of the surgery he had done in September to repair a tear in his right elbow’s UCL.
Ohtani agreed to a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers, reportedly the largest in sports history globally. Because of the unusual method the transaction was arranged, Ohtani will postpone the great majority of his income. During the term of the contract, he will receive $2 million year and defer $68 million of his yearly pay. From 2034 to 2043, the deferrals will be paid out annually.
Despite the contract’s enormous cost, the Dodgers can keep improving their club thanks to it. After meeting with pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Orix Buffaloes on Tuesday, who is available to MLB teams through the posting system, the Dodgers are immediately attempting to capitalize. The Athletic reports that Ohtani was one of the players in attendance for the discussions with the right-hander.
“I thought that was worth it and I was willing to go in that direction if I could defer as much money as I could, if that’s going to help the CBT (competitive balance tax), if that’s going to help the Dodgers be able to sign better players and make a better team,” he stated.
Over his career, Ohtani has altered the MLB record book numerous times. He is not only the first true two-way player in MLB since Babe Ruth, but he has even somewhat outperformed the baseball great.
In six seasons as a batter, the 29-year-old native of Iwate Prefecture has amassed a.274 average, 171 home runs, 437 RBIs, 86 stolen bases, and a.922 OPS. His career record on the mound is 38-19 with a 3.01 ERA, 608 strikeouts in 481⅔ innings. Baseball Reference lists his career wins above replacement as 15.1 for pitchers and 19.6 for hitters.
Ohtani will not be able to pitch in 2024 while he recovers from surgery on his elbow. He still brings an exceptional bat to a Dodgers lineup that was second in MLB in runs scored in 2023 behind Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, who were finalists for the National League MVP award, and Max Muncy. Last season, all three of them had at least 100 RBIs.
Ohtani led the MLB with a 1.066 OPS and led the AL with 44 home runs in 2021 and 2023, when he was unanimously chosen as the American League MVP. He finished second in 2022. In addition, he was named the AL Rookie of the Year in 2018 and is a two-time winner of the Silver Slugger Award, which honors the top offensive players at each position.
In 2021, he became the first player to be selected for an All-Star team in both the hitter and pitcher roles, a feat he would duplicate the following two seasons.
Friedman remarked, “Shohei is possibly the most gifted player to have ever played this game.”
Ohtani claimed that the Dodgers’ dedication to winning had an impact on him.
In his five seasons with the Fighters in the NPB, Ohtani helped his team make it to the postseason twice. In 2016, he was a part of the squad that won the Japan Series and the Pacific League pennant.
In the MLB, the Japanese star found it more difficult to achieve team success. Even though he was paired with three-time AL MVP Mike Trout, Ohtani’s tenure with the Angels was marred by his failure to make it to the postseason.
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