Ohtani and Dodgers
Posted in Baseball last updated on December 16, 2023The best player in baseball has found his new home. Shohei Ohtani has signed the largest contract in not only baseball history, but sports history surpassing soccer stars like Messi ($674 million) and Ronaldo ($536 million). And where will he be going? The Los Angeles Dodgers. As the saying goes, the rich get richer.
The Dodgers were the front-runner for the two-time AL MVP from the start, but other teams were in the mix such as the Giants, Yankees, Padres, Blue Jays, and a few more. Despite so much interest, the Dodgers had the best chance to give Ohtani a ring.
Contract Details
10 years 700 million dollars
However, Ohtani won’t be getting $70 million a year as he has decided to defer over 97% of his contract until 2034-2043. Ohtani will be making 2 million dollars every year for 10 years and then 68 million dollars every year for 10 years. This takes former Met Bobby Bonilla’s contract to a whole new level.
The Dodgers will still take a big cap hit of $46 million, but will still save a lot of money. The team is now able to look for other big free agents like Japan’s Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Dodgers and Yankees are currently the favourite to land the young pitcher.
Ohtani joins a stacked team already
Mookie Betts
Freddie Freeman
Max Muncy
Walker Buehler
Will Smith
Tyler Glasnow was recently acquired from the Rays
Ohtani, who suffered a torn UCL during the 2023 season will not pitch until the 2025 season, but he will still be able to produce incredible numbers with his bat.
Stats
Batting
| 2023 | Career Averages | |
| Games Played | 135 | 117 |
| Batting Average | .304 | .274 |
| OBP | .412 | .366 |
| OPS | 1.066 | .922 |
| Hits | 151 | 114 |
| Homeruns | 44 | 28 |
| BB | 91 | 58 |
| RBI | 95 | 73 |
| Strikeouts | 143 | 126 |
| Runs | 102 | 71 |
Pitching
| 2023 | Career Averages | |
| Games Pitched | 23 | 17 |
| Record | 10-5 | 8-4 |
| ERA | 3.14 | 3.01 |
| IP | 132.0 | 96.2 |
| BB | 55 | 35 |
| WHIP | 1.06 | 1.08 |
| K | 167 | 122 |
| Homeruns | 18 | 10.6 |
| WAR | 4.0 | – |
The Dodgers won the NL West last season after going 100-62 but were bounced early in the playoffs by the Cinderella team the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are currently the favorites to win the World Series after the signing of Ohtani.
World Series Odds
Dodgers +460
Braves +650
Yankees +850
Astros +900
Phillies +1000
Rangers +1000
Orioles +1500
Blue Jays +1600