MLB Insider says free agent bidding on Shohei Ohtani will be astronomical: "The number is going to start at $500 million… and only go up from there"
With spring training games just getting started, many in the baseball world remain obsessed with prognosticating where superstar hitting/pitching phenomenon Shohei Ohtani will play next season.
Ohtani has one season remaining on the contract he signed with the Los Angeles Angels before the 2018 season, and he is due to be a free agent after the 2023 campaign barring any further contractual developments.
While most believe he will not be playing with the Angels beyond this year – and could possibly be traded before the season is over – everyone seems to have an opinion on where he will sign next winter and for how much.
After MLB insider Jon Heyman mused Friday about Ohtani possibly rocketing past the $500 million mark in free agent bidding next winter, now another MLB insider, Jeff Passan, noted Monday that he, too believes, that half a billion dollars will be the starting point for the superstar.
"The number is gonna start at $500M for Shohei Ohtani and only go up from there"
@JeffPassan #PMSLive https://t.co/HnOaqWE7SV
"The number is gonna start at $500 million for Shohei Ohtani and only go up from there," MLB insider Jeff Passan said on "The Pat McAfee Show."
Passan said that with so many big-money teams rumored to be in the mix for Ohtani on the open market, bidding will ratchet up heavy and hard.
"When you’ve got the Dodgers in, and when you’ve got (owner) Steve Cohen and the New York Mets in, and the Seattle Mariners and the San Diego Padres … Angels trying to keep him around, the Chicago Cubs," Passan said. "I mean, it’s absurd player and an absurd amount of money that frankly he will have earned."
To this point, Shohei Ohtani has been mum about any future plans or contractual dealings. Earlier this month, he held a news conference and told reporters Thursday that he is not focused on anything other than the upcoming season.
"This is my last year, and I’m aware of that," Ohtani said. "As of now, I’m an Angel and that’s all I want to focus on."
Is Shohei Ohtani worth $500 million-plus?
Shohei Ohtani made his MLB debut in 2018. He quickly established himself as one of the greatest players in the league. He won the American League Rookie of the Year Award that season, hitting .285 with 22 home runs and 61 RBIs. As a pitcher, he posted a 4-2 record with a 3.31 ERA and 63 strikeouts.
He was named the AL MVP in 2021 after recording a .273/.356/.519 slash line with 46 homers and 100 RBIs. He also pitched to the tune of a 9-2 record and a 3.52 ERA.
Last season, he was second to New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge in the AL MVP voting. He led the Angels' pitching staff with a 15-9 record, 2.96 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. He put up great numbers at the plate, hitting .273 with 34 homers and 95 RBIs. He also posted a 9.6 WAR, which was the second-best in the league.