LA sports writer thinks Shohei Ohtani will find his way to the Los Angeles Dodgers in free agency
Anyone who has paid even mild attention to the baseball world knows the name Shohei Ohtani. The 28-year-old two-way Japanese phenom can be relied on to regularly hit 30 home runs, 100 RBIs, and log nearly 200 innings of dominant pitching on the mound.
Despite Ohtani's limitless potential and proven dominance, things have not been very straightforward with his team. A member of the Los Angeles Angels since his MLB debut in 2018, his one-year, $30 million contract with the team will expire at the end of the season.
The Angels, who signed outfielder Mike Trout to a then-record $426.5 million over 12 seasons in 2019, appear to be stretched. Blame has fallen on owner Arte Moreno and GM Perry Minassian for not doing more to keep this generational talent around.
In a recent piece for NBC Los Angeles, writer Michael Duarte has become the latest MLB analyst to endorse the Los Angeles Dodgers as Shohei Ohtani's probable new home. Speaking of the possible deal, Duarte wrote:
"On paper, it's a match made in blue heaven, but whether Ohtani feels the same way is still unknown."
In his piece, Duarte pointed to the large-market nature of the Dodgers franchise, especially when compared to the Angels. In short, Duarte's point is that Ohtani is a big-market player, who is befitting of a big-market team.
When and if Shohei Ohtani departs the Los Angeles Angels, he is expected to draw offers of up to $500 million. There are only a few teams, the Dodgers being one, that have the reserves to make an offer of that magnitude.
Shohei Ohtani - or is it a gazelle - races around the bases after lashing one to the deepest part of Coors Field for an RBI-triple. https://t.co/ipASclGIzR
"Shohei Ohtani - or is it a gazelle - races around the bases after lashing one to the deepest part of Coors Field for an RBI-triple" -Patrick Lyons
Moreover, Shohei Ohtani would be a much-needed addition to the Dodgers lineup, both in terms of pitching and offense. Legendary pitcher Clayton Kershaw will likely be retiring soon, and the Dodgers will need someone newer and fresher to help drive ticket sales.
Shohei Ohtani and Los Angeles Dodgers do seem very compatible
After running their division for most of the past decade, the LA Dodgers are now third in the NL West, 3.5 games behind the leading Arizona Diamondbacks.
While every dynasty eventually comes to an end, the Dodgers are in a unique position to lock down a player who could define the very franchise for years to come.