"Shohei Ohtani was rotting in Anaheim" - Ex-World Series champ envisions bright future for Japanese superstar with Dodgers
Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers are the 2024 World Series champions. The two-time MVP and the Dodgers have reached the MLB mountain top by defeating the New York Yankees 4-1, securing their eighth title in franchise history.
For Ohtani, this is why he made the record-breaking, high-profile move to the Los Angeles Dodgers. While the mammoth 10-year, $700,000,000 deal certainly helped convince him, Ohtani expressed his desire to win as one of the driving forces behind his free agency move.
In the latest episode of "Foul Territory," host A.J. Pierzynski expressed his happiness for Ohtani getting the opportunity to add World Series champion to his resume.
"I'm happy for Shohei, he was rotting in Anaheim, he gets to do it on the biggest stage, and in his first year he wins the World Series. Congratulations to you," Pierzynski said. [23:11]
While Shohei Ohtani won the World Series, it was a tad disappointing that he injured his shoulder in the second game of the series. Even though he played all games, it was clear that the injury did not allow him to perform at his MVP level.
Given everything that Ohtani has overcome this season, adding a World Series to his impressive resume is just the cherry on top. Co-host Erik Kratz praised the superstar's successful transition from the Angels to the Dodgers.
"To me, this is Shohei more than we will ever know. To have an MVP season, based on what happened to him, based on the fact that he came from a losing environment, you don't just turn it on and be like, 'Oh yeah. You know what I'm going to win now.' It takes a little bit of time. He jumped right in, and he also jumped in, allowing this team to buy more players because he deferred his money," Kratz said. [23:41]
This may only be the beginning of things to come for Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers
The fact that Ohtani was not 100% healthy and the Los Angeles Dodgers were still able to dominate the New York Yankees could be worrisome for the rest of the league. Pierzynski acknowledged that this could be just the beginning of something special in Los Angeles, which has most of its key pieces locked up for the foreseeable future.
"They're built for the long haul, the Dodgers are. Now, these guys are going to age a little bit, but you still have Shohei, Mookie, Max, Freddie, Will Smith. ... This is not the end for the Dodgers, this could be the beginning of a long run," Pierzynski said. [22:45]
It will be interesting to see what the Dodgers do this offseason, as Ohtani's deferred contract will allow the club to get creative with the additional financial space. Among the players linked to the Dodgers is Juan Soto.