Baseball megastar Shohei Ohtani joins the Los Angeles Dodgers in the biggest deal in MLB history.
The $700 million,10-year contract Ohtani signed is the largest ever, making Ohtani one of the world’s highest-paid athletes.
The Japanese star, widely seen as one of the best to have ever played baseball, was the most coveted free agent in this offseason, as he’s a dominant hitter and pitcher. He is not expected to pitch in 2024 though, as he had elbow surgery in September.
The decision to join the Dodgers comes after weeks of speculation about his future. There was a major bidding war between teams like the Dodgers, Blue Jays, Cubs, and Rangers, to name a few, as Ohtani opted to leave the Angels as a free agent after his contract expired. He played with the Angels for six years and never made the postseason.
“To all the fans and everyone involved in the baseball world, I apologize for taking so long to come to a decision. I have decided to choose the Dodgers as my next team.
First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone involved with the Angels organization and the fans who have supported me over the past six years, as well as to everyone involved with each team that was part of this negotiation process. Especially to the Angels fans who supported me through all the ups and downs, your guys’ support and cheer meant the world to me. The six years I spent with the Angels will remain etched in my heart forever.
And to all Dodgers fans, I pledge to always do what’s best for the team and always continue to give it my all to be the best version of myself. Until the last day of my playing career, I want to continue to strive forward not only for the Dodgers but for the baseball world.
There are some things that cannot be conveyed in writing, so I would like to talk more about this again at a later press conference.
Thank you very much,” Ohtani posted on Instagram.
The 29-year-old has transformed how baseball is played in the modern era, and he is already considered an all-time great despite his relatively short career in MLB and his previously mentioned lack of postseason experience.
Ohtani hit .274 with 171 home runs and 437 RBIs in 701 games over six years with the Angels. He is 38-19 with a 3.01 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 86 career starts across five years, recording 608 strikeouts.
The Japanese phenom won the American League MVP award in 2021 and 2023, even though last season got cut short by injury.
Ohtani helped Japan beat the US in March to claim the World Baseball Classic.
