August 1st, 2023 at 8:00 am 
by Ron Cervenka With Major League Baseball’s trade deadline now only hours away (Tuesday, August 1 at 6 p.m. ET), and with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim having informed the baseball world this past week that they were not going trade superstar designated hitter/pitcher Shohei Ohtani, it is difficult – if not impossible – to believe that the greatest player in MLB history since Babe Ruth (or ever) will not become a free agent after the AL West third place Angles complete their 56 remaining regular season games; that you can take to the bank.
Why, you ask?
Because the just-turned-29-year-old (on July 5) Oshu, Japan native will receive the single largest contract in the game’s history from someone, and not necessarily from current Angels owner Arte Moreno.
The reason for this is because MLB’s current home run (39) and triples (7) leader who is currently slashing a Ruthian-like .305/.407/.680/1.087 (which will probably get even better) has made it abundantly clear that he wants to play for a legitimate contender which, quite frankly, Moreno’s Angels of Anaheim are not; this despite having the other greatest player in MLB history since Babe Ruth (or ever) in superstar centerfielder Mike Trout on their roster.
A bit presumptions, you say?
Perhaps.
But with money and years soon to no longer be part of the equation, that playing for a legitimate contender thing looms very large.
…and the Los Angeles Dodgers of Los Angeles are legitimate contenders this season and pretty much every season – of that you can be sure.
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It would be great to have Ohtani on the Dodgers. For the next 5 years. The AAV of his next contract is not a concern for me. It is the length of the contract he will get. 10 years is absurd for any baseball contract. I would go 5-6 years for Ohtani.
Even 5 years is pushing it. I wouldn’t go more than 3 years $150mm total, with really aggressive 2-way milestones he needs to hit to get paid. Anything more than that the Dodgers should pass. We don’t need him to contend, he needs us if he really wants to make the post-season on a consistent basis.
Ohio you are correct. Some dumb team like the Yankees will offer 10 for 600 mil.
Dodgers should pass.
I agree with Ohio and Steve — some team is going to blow away everyone else with a long term, record setting contract for Ohtani. My pick is the SF Giants — they only have $109M AAV committed to 2024 contracts, they are flush with money, and anxious to take over the NL West
Yeah, but the Giants are NOT perennial contenders.
Not of late, but they are right in the hunt for 2023 postseason, and they have tons of money to spend on free agents the next several years.
I think the Dodgers are in a great spot next yr.
Bauer money goes bye bye 23 mil
Urias 14 mil
JD Martinez 10
Hudson and Training 15 mil plus.
62 t mil on those 5 contracts.
If Lynne pitches well he might be back.
But with a core SP group of Buehler, Gonsolin, Miller Sheehan and CK hopefully
We should be solid.
Bullpen almost all signed for next yr.
Agree with all you cited BUT….and it’s a huge but:
Why do I have a nagging feeling Ohtani’s ultimate contract may well blow the record completely out of the water followed by his performance possibly being the biggest bust, the biggest “meh” ever?
TJ surgery or other injury keeping him on the I.L. into his early 30’s. His hitting declining dramatically after he comes back from such an injury. All of this on top of an 8, 10 or could it be? A TWELVE year commitment by some team for the $43.333M Scherzer & Verlander get plus the $40M Judge gets – after all, he IS BOTH!
Say $80M/year for 8 or 10 years!! Holy guacamole. If he could be assured of playing as he has the last couple years then swallow hard and hope it would add up to a couple championships but that is NOT assured no matter what anyone says (Cohen). Gotta be surrounded by the remainder of a team hot and uninjured at the right time. Total crap shoot worth a crazy fortune.
PS to my own post: IF the Dodgers sign Ohtani and it results in say 3 or 4 championships over 8 – 10 years it would eclipse Ruth’s accomplishments in most people’s opinions because Ruth was last century. It would have the Dodgers name replace the Yankees at the top of the baseball heap for years to come.
BUT…if this gigantic contract proved to be a bust in terms of multiple championships? All Friedman accomplished in his time here would be forgotten in the face of such a gigantic bust. Damn.
I definitely understand what you’re saying but you don’t not sign the greatest baseball player we’ve ever seen because he MIGHT end up being a bust. He already had TJ and the list of guys who end up getting TJ again is small (Buehler is one of those 2 timers of course). Not saying it couldn’t happen with Ohtani but it’s pretty rare for that to happen. All 30 teams would sign Ohtani to whatever contract he wanted in a heart beat given the chance. If the Dodgers have an opportunity to sign him, they do it 100 times out of 100 and will never regret it.
Actually, there are quite a few MLB pitchers with 2 TJS: Jacob DeGrom, Dustin May, Nathan Eovaldi, Mike Clevinger, Brian Wilson, Kirby Yates, Mark Wohlers, Johny Venters (3 times), Daniel Hudson, et al — I read that the list is now more than 50
I think you make an excellent point. What makes Ohtani great has the potential of becoming a huge liability. One significant injury and a team loses its best run producer and a top pitcher. Think Clayton Kershaw and Freddie Freeman trying to catch a pop up, colliding and losing both players for a lengthy stay on the IL, or perhaps an entire season. Perhaps Friedman offers Ohtani and guaranteed $40M per year with incentives for innings pitched and plate appearances that could earn him another $20M per season.