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Heading into the 2023 season, the question of Shohei Ohtani’s short-term future remains one of the biggest points of discussion. Ohtani’s one-year, $30 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels is set to expire at the end of the season.
His two-direction abilities for the 28-year-old star make him one of the most dynamic players in MLB. The former MVP and Rookie of the Year is as dangerous in the box as he is charming on the mound.
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“Is there anything Shohei Ohtani can’t do?” – Nuts Baseball History
Despite his apparent superiority, he was unable to reach a long-term agreement with the Angels. Contract difficulties combined with the Angels’ enduring failures made Ohtani’s departure after the season inevitable.
While nearly everyone knows Ohtani will be shopping for contract offers come the off-season, no one knows his final destination. The only relative guarantee is that the Los Angeles Angels will likely lose Ohtani this season.
In a recent article for ESPN, writer Buster Olney interviewed a cadre of MLB executives. Olney wanted to get an insider’s insight into where Shuhei Ohtani might eventually find his new home.
One of the executives listed by the Los Angeles Dodgers are the first to win an Otani. The unnamed source stated that the Dodgers might be the most logical option for Otani in the circumstances:
“It makes a lot of sense for them. It’s a market that responds to stars, and they’re the biggest star in the game.”
As of the 2023 season, the LA Dodgers have the fifth-highest-paid team in baseball. Their free spending ways have been on full display with recent signings like Freddie Freeman, JD Martinez, and Noah Syndergaard.
The anonymous insider also pointed out the icon of the Clayton Kershaw monument. Kershaw, 34, has been embroiled in a string of one-year contracts, and many think retirement might not be too far for the three-time Cy Young Award winner.
The Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes will come at a very high cost to the teams
While the list of teams who would like to land Shohei Ohtani is long, the ones that can actually afford to sign him are much shorter. With the expected total value of the contract somewhere in the region of $500 million, any potential claimant would need to have very deep pockets. While the Dodgers offer a viable option, in addition to its geographic proximity to his current home, the decision is ultimately up to Shohei Ohtani.
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