Ohtani set to join Dodgers on record $700 million, 10-year deal
Shohei Ohtani, a generational star, has signed the largest free agent contract in baseball history, agreeing to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers next season, he announced on Instagram Saturday.
“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,” Ohtani wrote Saturday.
The 10-year, $700 million contract is the most lucrative in baseball history, surpassing Mike Trout's 12-year, $426.5 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels, Aaron Judge's nine-year, $360 million deal with the New York Yankees, and Bryce Harper's 13-year, $330 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies.
The contract is conditional on a physical examination, which would have been a routine act in previous years. Given the money involved and last winter's drama with shortstop Carlos Correa, who appeared to have signed lucrative contracts with the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants before doctor's reports scuttled those contracts, it's now considered an important box to check.
The soon-to-be former Los Angeles Angels star had previously spent six seasons in Anaheim and five seasons in Japan with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.
“The six years I spent with the Angles will remain etched in my heart forever,” he said on Instagram.
The Dodgers are paying a record amount for the incredibly unique skill set that Ohtani, a two-time American League MVP, has brought to North American baseball diamonds.
“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,” Ohtani wrote on Instagram. “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.”
For almost the entire history of professional baseball, players have been divided into two groups: pitchers who specialize in throwing balls from 60 feet and 6 inches, and batters who specialize in hitting those pitches, which regularly travel between 90 and 100 mph.
Ohtani, 29, has broken that mold, performing as a high-level two-way player in a way not seen since Babe Ruth was a dominant pitcher for the Boston Red Sox more than 100 years ago.
But even Ruth gave up pitching to focus on becoming one of the game's greatest home run hitters.
Ohtani tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow late last season, forcing him to stop pitching the rest of the season. He'll continue to hit in 2024 before returning to his two-way play in 2025.
Despite his pitching season being cut short due to the injury, Ohtani won his second AL MVP this year, both times with unanimous votes. Ohtani would have been a three-time MVP if Judge hadn't hit 62 home runs in 2022, the most by any player outside of the steroid-affected late 1990s and early 2000s.
Ohtani hit 44 home runs and had a 1.066 on-base percentage plus slugging percentage (OPS), the most popular modern measure for batters, this season. Both of these figures were the highest in the American League.
Ohtani started 23 games on the mound and had a 3.14 earned-run average. The Angels went 14-9 (.608) in Ohtani's starts and 59-80 (.424) in the remaining 139 games.
SportsLigue