Shohei Ohtani is keeping his talents in Southern California — but he will be doing it in Dodger Blue.
Ohtani ended the most high-profile free agency in North American sports since NBA star LeBron James’ famous decision in 2010 by announcing Saturday he will sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Ohtani, who spent his first six MLB seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, where he won two American League MVP awards, announced his decision in an Instagram post.
“To all the fans and everyone involved in the baseball world, I apologize for taking so long to come to a decision,” Ohtani wrote. “I have decided to choose the Dodgers as my next team.” According to MLB.com, Ohtani’s agent, Nez Balelo, said the Japanese star will sign a 10-year deal worth $700 million — the largest in North American sports history.
“This is a unique, historic contract for a unique, historic player,” Balelo, from CAA Sports, said in a statement.
After never getting a chance to play in the postseason with the Angels in the American League, Ohtani is moving to a perennial contender in the National League. The Dodgers have reached the playoffs in 11 straight seasons and have three World Series appearances — including a win in 2020 — over that span.
“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 said. “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.”
Ohtani’s agreement with the Dodgers brings down the curtain on a free agency unlike anything MLB has experienced. The process was shrouded in secrecy — with reports that even speaking about meeting with Ohtani’s team could hurt a club’s chances — which only ramped up the intrigue.
The cloak-and-dagger operation — which according to ESPN’s Buster Olney extended to Ohtani not even revealing the name of his dog — led to grumbles from some corners, and whirlwind reports on Friday of a private plane flying from Southern California to Toronto that was supposedly carrying Ohtani to the Toronto Blue Jays, who were reportedly a strong contender until the end. Even dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster got in on the fun, posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, that “We can confirm that Shohei Ohtani is not in the Merriam-Webster Citation Archives.”
In the end, the three-time All-Star chose the Dodgers.
While a tear to the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, suffered in August, will prevent him from pitching in 2024, Ohtani, a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, will add his prodigious bat to a lineup that already features former AL MVP Mookie Betts, also the NL MVP runner-up in 2023, and former NL MVP Freddie Freeman, who was third in the voting last season.
As Ohtani approached free agency over the past few years, it was clear he was going to be the most sought-after player in MLB history, even before adding fuel to the flames with another brilliant two-way campaign in 2023 and his second AL MVP award in three seasons.
Ohtani led MLB with a 1.066 OPS and topped the AL with 44 home runs as the Angels’ designated hitter in 2023, and was also 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 167 strikeouts in 132 innings as a pitcher. He led all MLB players with a 10.0 WAR (Wins Above Replacement), as calculated by Baseball Reference, with Betts second with 8.3.
Shohei Ohtani won two American League MVP awards in six seasons with the Angels.
| USA TODAY / VIA REUTERS
While Ohtani is a unique talent on the field and arguably the most popular player in MLB, there was talk across the industry that his UCL tear might negatively impact what he could command in free agency. The 29-year-old had an elbow procedure in September and had Tommy John surgery to repair his UCL earlier in his career in October 2018.
Those fears seemingly did not come to fruition, as the Dodgers reached an agreement with the Japanese star on a deal that easily surpasses the previous record in North American sports, held by NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who signed a 10-year deal worth up to $503 million to remain with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020. Mike Trout, now Ohtani’s former teammate, held the mark before Mahomes with a 12-year extension worth $426.5 million that he signed with the Angels in 2019.
Ohtani began his pro career in NPB with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in 2013. He hit .286 with 48 home runs and 166 RBIs in 1,035 at-bats in Japan and was 42-15 with a 2.52 ERA and 624 strikeouts across 543 innings on the mound. He led the Fighters to the Pacific League pennant and Japan Series title in 2016. He was that season’s PL MVP and also made history by being named as both the pitcher and designated hitter on the season-ending PL Best Nine team.
Ohtani moved to MLB via the posting system in the 2017 offseason despite an MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement that severely restricted what he could earn on his first contract. He then set off on a record-breaking six-year run with the Angels, doing things fans had not seen in MLB since the days of Babe Ruth over a century ago. He was the AL Rookie of the Year in 2018.
The Halos, under former manager Joe Maddon, fully tapped into Ohtani’s two-way talents in 2021, removing guardrails that had been in place in Japan and his first years in MLB, and allowing him to play as a full two-way player. Ohtani responded by unanimously winning his first AL MVP award.
The Angels, however, never produced a playoff run — or even a winning season — with Ohtani and Trout, a three-time AL MVP, on the roster. “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone involved with the Angels organization and the fans who have supported me over the past six years, as well as to everyone involved with each team that was part of this negotiation process,” Ohtani said in his announcement. “Especially to the Angels fans who supported me through all the ups and downs, your guys’ support and cheer meant the world to me. The six years I spent with the Angels will remain etched in my heart forever.”