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Shohei Ohtani has announced his next team on Instagram: The Los Angeles Dodgers.
ESPN is reporting that the two-time MVP has struck a deal for 10 years and $700 million, the latter the biggest deal in baseball history with an average annual value of $70 million, not including endorsements, of which there will be plenty.
Ohtani was known to be seeking a deal above $500 million, but today’s figure was stunning, dwarfing previous huge outlays for such stars as ex-Angels teammate Mike Trout and the New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge.
Ohtani started his career with the Los Angeles Angels after several years in Japanese baseball, and became a dominant two-way MLB talent. Every big market team was reportedly attempting to lure him, with the Toronto Blue Jays allegedly the leader until today’s announcement.
The Japanese superstar will not pitch this coming season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. Instead, he brings his 44-homers bat to a power-packed Dodgers lineup as the designated hitter as the team seeks to break through some disappointing playoffs results in the last few years. One of the reasons Ohtani was seeking a new team was winning – he has never appeared in a playoff game while with the Angels.
The 29-year-old Ohtani finished 2023 with an AL-leading 44 homers, an MLB-best 1.066 OPS, 95 RBIs, 102 runs and 20 steals on offense. He also posted a 3.14 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP with 167 strikeouts in 132 innings as a pitcher before being shut down with a right elbow injury.
Ohtani kept his negotiations in secret, warning teams not to talk about the talks. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts broke that vow by confirming the team was talking to Ohtani, creating a brief kerfuffle. But it apparently made no difference in the end.
Ohtani posted the news to Instagram.
“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
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