"I thought it made too much sense" - Dodgers president Stan Kasten on Shohei Ohtani's deferred $700,000,000 deal
Stan Kasten is the president and CEO of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He visited five of the six cities in the new Professional Women's Hockey League during the first week of January. In December, Kasten oversaw the Dodgers' franchise-record expenditure of $1.35 billion for Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow. Kasten is also an advisory board member of the league.
"I always felt the ideal spot for Ohtani was here. I thought it made too much sense. And when we first got the report of what Shohei was proposing (deferring $680 million of the $700 million), we knew instantly this could work out." - Stan Kasten on Shoehi Ohtani's contract
The powerhouse Dodgers' supremacy in the league is unmatched. They have won 106 games since they were unsuccessful and ten of the previous eleven NL West championships. Kasten was all praise for Ohtani and claimed he will be the Dodgers' ace next season and rake in viewership.
"I think this is good for baseball. The Dodger brand is unique and historic, and now it’s combined with the Ohtani brand, which is unique and historic."
"People in Japan are telling me that Ohtani is bigger in Japan than [Michael] Jordan was here. His presence is extraordinary. I don’t know who you compare him to, Messi? His presence is extraordinary." - Stan Kasten
Season ticket sales, inspired by the season ticket prices, are expected to boom. Dodger Stadium should garner almost 4 million spectators throughout the 2024 MLB season. Their stores are sorely lacking in merchandise. With 13 games already slated for national television, they might be the most well-liked club in baseball.
The LA Dodgers have created a perennial team by signing some mighty players this offseason
There's no reason to think the Dodgers won't continue to dominate the division for ten more years. They still have one of baseball's wealthiest farm systems. They just constructed a new performance center at their Phoenix spring training site. Next winter, they intend to renovate Dodger Stadium once more.
It could be a good idea to incorporate a new pressbox in that refurbishment, given the Dodgers' widespread national and international appeal. Shohei Ohtani's choice has made the Dodgers a longstanding force that may endure for long.
The Dodgers farm system is expected to produce some outstanding talents. And having locked down players like Ohtani, Yamamoto and Glasnow for multiple seasons should benefit LA in the long run.