All signs now point to the Los Angeles Dodgers being the most aggressive suitor for Shohei Ohtani, 29, this offseason.”
“Ohtani’s and the Dodgers’ desires to get paid a lot of money and to win are aligned,” CBS Sports said on June 6. ”Ohtani will stay in Southern California, where he is expected to be comfortable,” the source added. 굿모닝토토
Ohtani officially became a free agent after the Texas Rangers defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-0 in Game 5 of the World Series on April 2 to win the championship. The Los Angeles Angels’ qualifying offer period is over, and Ohtani can negotiate and sign with any major league team.
Still only 29 years old, Ohtani wants to sign with a team that can clearly win this offseason. ”Losing is very annoying,” he said in an interview before the All-Star break in July. I want to win.”
That’s largely because he hasn’t played a single fall ball game since making his major league debut with the Angels in 2018. Even with Mike Trout and Ohtani, the Angels never won a regular-season division title or even made the postseason as a wild card.
The major league team’s performance may seem harsh for Ohtani, considering he won the American League MVP in 2021 and led Team Japan to the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC), where he won both the title and MVP.
In this situation, it’s likely that he wants to leave the team. There is local speculation that Ohtani is looking to move to a team that can win. The chances of him staying with the Angels, who haven’t made it to fall baseball since 2014, are close to zero.
Ryu’s Dodgers won the National League West for the second straight year. In the 2020 season, they won the World Series. Ohtani wants the Dodgers because they win a lot of division titles and can go to fall ball.
The Dodgers also have deep pockets. They can afford to pay Ohtani’s ransom, which is estimated at $500 million. While Ohtani won’t be able to pitch in 2024 due to a torn collateral ligament in his elbow, the Dodgers are likely to invest $500 million in a player who is also valuable as a designated hitter.
The Dodgers made an early exit from the postseason after winning the West this season, getting swept by Arizona in the first round due to an ineffective batting lineup and a breakdown on the mound. With the addition of Ohtani, the Dodgers are aiming higher in the postseason next season.