Yu Darvish expresses his surprise at Shohei Ohtani's decision to join Angels in documentary: "I thought he would end up choosing Rangers or Padres"
San Diego Padres pitcher Yu Darvish has shared his thoughts on Shohei Ohtani's first landing spot after moving from Nippon Professional Baseball.
Darvish said Ohtani's decision to join the LA Angels took him by surprise.
"I thought he would end up choosing Rangers or Padres, but he surprised everyone and signed with Angels. I never had a chance to find out his reason," Darvish said in Ohtani's documentary on ESPN.
When Ohtani's agent, Nez Balelo, revealed that his client would play for the Angels in 2018, the baseball community was taken aback. The club had been out of the playoffs for three years and had won their only World Championship 15 years prior (2002).
So why did he sign with the Angels? According to Balelo, it was because Ohtani felt a connection with the Angels franchise and supporters.
"After a thorough, detailed process," Nez Balelo said regarding Ohtani's decision to join the Angels, "Shohei Ohtani has decided to sign with the Los Angeles Angels. Shohei is humbled and flattered by all the time and effort that so many teams put into their presentations and sincerely thanks them for their professionalism."
"In the end, he felt a strong connection with the Angels and believes they can best help him reach his goals in Major League Baseball."
Despite Ohtani's rise, the Angels have not finished with a winning record in the five seasons he's been in the starting lineup.
One is Ohtani's curtailed rookie season (2018), in which he underwent Tommy John surgery after pitching just 51.2 innings. In 2019, he served as a designated hitter and in the pandemic-reduced 2020 season, he pitched 1.2 innings overall.
Shohei Ohtani signed a mammoth contract with the LA Dodgers this offseason
There have been numerous discussions over the future of the Halos after two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani signed a record-breaking 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ohtani's departure has severely damaged the Halos as it will only receive compensatory picks in his absence.
"Here's what Shohei Ohtani will look like in each Dodgers uniform next season" - MLB
Shohei Ohtani's agent, Nez Balelo, asked the Angels to match the offer made by the Dodgers. Angels owner Arte Moreno turned it down, drawing criticism from the fan base.