For now, Shohei Ohtani is an Angel from Los Angeles, but that may change after this season.
The elite starting pitcher, who is also an elite hitter, will hit the free agent market after this season, and with his once-in-a-lifetime ability, he may very well break the bank.
ESPN’s Buster Olney says Ohtani will break the record for the largest deal held by current teammate Mike Trout, who signed a 12-year, $426 million deal in 2019.
«The contract he’s going to get will start with number six: $600 million,» Olney predicted on ESPN’s «Get Up» on opening day.
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Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani celebrates after striking out JJ Matijevic of the Houston Astros to end the top of the sixth inning of a game on July 13, 2022 in Anaheim, California. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Olney also thinks Ohtani will stay in Los Angeles but move to the National League.
«It’s amazing when you talk to baseball people how many believe Ohtani will end up with the Dodgers next year,» Olney said. «During the offseason, Los Angeles really readjusted their spending. They were clearly preparing for a big move next offseason. That will be Ohtani … because he brings to the table something we’ve never seen before. This big two–the best player and the most marketable player in the world».
Ohtani is making $30 million this season, the highest salary ever for an arbitration-eligible player, surpassing mookie bets$27 million for the 2020 season.
His raise of $24.5 million for this season is also the highest ever. Ohtani made $5.5 million last season.
Shohei Ohtani (17) of the Los Angeles Angels celebrates a two-run home run with Mike Trout (27) in the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on September 5, 2022 in Anaheim, California. (Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
Ohtani has lived up to expectations since joining the majors in 2018.
Nicknamed the «japanese babe ruth«When he arrived, he was named AL Rookie of the Year with a .285 average and .925 OPS while pitching with a 3.31 ERA and striking out 11.0 batters per nine innings. He became the first player in the MLB history of hitting fewer than 20 home runs and striking out at least 60 batters in the same season.
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Ohtani had Tommy John surgery before the 2019 season, preventing him from pitching that year. He suffered another injury in 2020 that limited him to pitching to just 1.2 innings.
But he was the unanimous AL MVP in 2021 with 46 home runs, the third-most in baseball, and 100 RBIs with a .965 OPS. He also posted a 3.18 ERA, which was the eighth-best mark in the American League among pitchers with at least 130 innings pitched.
Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels celebrates the third out in the sixth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on June 9, 2022 in Anaheim, California. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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Last year, his 2.33 ERA was the sixth-best in baseball, while his .875 OPS was the 10th-highest in the majors, proving that the year before was no fluke. If it was not for aaron judgein the run for a Triple Crown while tying Roger Maris for the most home runs in a single season by an AL player, Ohtani would have won MVP again.