It’s no longer the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, it’s the Los Angeles Dodgers of Ohtani.
Shohei Ohtani, 29, a free agent from the Angels, will wear a Dodgers uniform in the highest contract in North American sports history.
“Ohtani agreed to a 10-year, $700 million (92.4 billion won) contract with the Dodgers,” U.S. media outlets such as ESPN and MLB.com reported on Tuesday (KST).
Ohtani also made the deal official on his personal social media by writing “LA” in Dodger blue.
According to MLB.com, Ohtani’s contract is the largest in North American sports history, surpassing former Angels player Mike Trout (12 years, $426.5 million) and NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes (10 years, $450 million).
In total, it surpasses Lionel Messi’s contract with Barcelona ($674 million from 2017-2021).
The two-handed slugger joined the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2018 after playing for the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Nippon Ham Fighters.
He was named the American League Rookie of the Year and underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019.
In 2020, he was limited to just two starts due to a right forearm flexor injury.
But in 2021, he was unanimously named the American League’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) after hitting 46 home runs and posting a .965 OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) and a 3.18 ERA with 156 strikeouts on the mound. 온라인카지노
In 2022, he pitched 166 innings with 219 strikeouts and a 2.33 ERA.
He also hit 34 home runs and had an OPS of 0.875, but lost the MVP award to Aaron Judge (New York Yankees), who hit 62 home runs on the season.
Ohtani, who helped Japan win the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) and was named the tournament’s MVP, had an early season-ending elbow injury in September, but still posted 44 home runs (1st) and a 1.066 OPS as a hitter this year and a 10-5 record with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts as a pitcher.
The 10-win, 40-homer mark is a first in major league history. He was again unanimously voted American League MVP.
Ohtani is the first time a player has been named unanimous league MVP twice.
In a personal social media post, Ohtani said, “The support of the Angels fans has meant everything to me.
My six years with the Angels will forever be etched in my heart.”
“To all Dodger fans, I promise to always do my best for the team and always do my best to be the best I can be.
Until the last day of my career, I will continue to strive to serve not only the Dodgers but also the baseball world.”
Ohtani is currently rehabbing from elbow surgery, so he will only be a “pinch hitter” for the 2024 season.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers will host the San Diego Padres in Korea for their official opening game next year (March 20-21) at Gocheok SkyDome, so there’s a good chance Oh could make his official Dodger debut in Korea. San Diego has Kim Ha-seong.
