The Shohei Ohtani saga is over: the two-way superstar is signing a 10-year, $700 million contract with the talent-loaded Los Angeles Dodgers. Ohtani announced the signing on his Instagram early Saturday afternoon.
The deal, reported to be $700 million with zero opt-outs, demolishes the previous record set by Ohtani’s former teammate Mike Trout’s $426 million deal.
While the price tag is high, initial reports deem it might not be as costly for Los Angeles. ESPN’s Jeff Passan states, “Ohtani’s contract has significant deferrals that include most of his salary…” The deferral will open up more space for the Dodgers to add pieces during free agency during his contract.
Ohtani fits well into the Dodgers’ roster, but the team still has more holes to fill. Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani star in a talent-loaded offense. All three players have won an MVP, and pitching rotations will have to figure out a way to pitch around them.
Los Angeles’ offense will not be a problem.
The pitching staff continues to be a hole for the Dodgers in 2024. While Ohtani is an elite two-way player, he won’t be on the mound next season. He suffered a setback in 2023, and underwent his second Tommy John Surgery during the off-season.
Ohtani is set to return to the mound in 2025, but his long-term health may be a concern. It’s difficult to project how long Ohtani will remain a full-time pitcher in the big leagues. That uncertainty played a huge role in Ohtani’s free agency bonanza.
Ohtani’s decision to defer his payment is important on multiple fronts. It truly reemphasized reports that he wants to win during his next contract. There aren’t many better places to do so than Los Angeles. The Dodgers will be looking for their 12th-straight playoff appearance in 2024, including 10 division titles since 2013.
Regular season doesn’t always pan out to success in the postseason, and it hasn’t for Los Angeles. The team has won one World Series championship since the turn of the century — the 60-game 2020 COVID-19 season. The Dodgers have only reached the National League Championship Series once since 2020, and that’s substandard for Los Angeles.
Additionally, that extra space gives the Dodgers an opportunity to add more star players to the roster. The team has been extra aggressive in the pitching market, which could open up in the coming weeks.
25-year-old superstar starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto is perceived as the top free-agent arm. As one of the best Japanese players to test free agency in MLB, Yamamoto is expected to sign for over $300 million from a high-spending team. The Dodgers, New York Mets and New York Yankees will be important players for his services.
MLB free agency’s hot stove will keep boiling up following Ohtani’s decision. The Winter Meetings occurred early last week, with an underwhelming amount of free agency decisions. Much of the off-season’s most aggressive teams, the Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs, put complete focus on signing Ohtani. With him off the board, these teams will look at other impact players, including Cody Bellinger, Blake Snell, Matt Chapman and Jordan Montgomery.
Where teams stand will take shape over the next few weeks.
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