Shohei Ohtani rocked the baseball world on Saturday by agreeing to a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, making it the largest salary in professional sports.
The deal wipes out the $426 million contract of his former teammate Mike Trout. Furthermore, if you combined Aaron Judge and Bryce Harper’s contracts, it still wouldn’t be better than Ohtani’s.
MLB insider Jon Heyman joined the MLB Network to discuss what prompted Ohtani to sign this massive deal. In doing so, he revealed that there were three teams that Ohtani narrowed his decision to before signing with the Dodgers.
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“I understand there were three finalists,” Heyman said.
The three finalists were the Dodgers, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Angels. Heyman also stated that Ohtani’s decision likely came down to wanting to play for a contender, but the money certainly helps.
For several reasons, the Dodgers were considered the favorites to sign Shohei Ohtani. One of those reasons is that he has yet to make the playoffs in his six-year tenure.
Another reason he chose the Dodgers was because he wanted to stay on the West Coast. Going from the Angels to the Dodgers isn’t a big step at all. The two stadiums are only 30 miles apart.
The Dodgers are looking to avenge their early exit from the postseason with the addition of Shohei Ohtani
The Dodgers had a great season last year. They finished atop the National League West with a 100-62 record. However, they were eliminated by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLDS.
It was a sad season finale for the club, which had hoped to challenge for a World Series crown. With Shohei Ohtani in the lineup, their championship window has expanded even further.
Early reports predict Ohtani will bat second in the lineup behind Mookie Betts, followed by Freddie Freeman. That will be a scary, top-tier battle for the opposing pitchers.
The Dodgers have now surpassed the Atlanta Braves as World Series favorites. Fan duel has posted +550 odds for LA, while Atlanta is now +650 favorite to capture the 2024 title.
Now that Ohtani is no longer on the market, free will should increase. Teams that missed out on the two-time AL MVP must quickly turn to the best players available.