Could the Los Angeles Dodgers land Shohei Ohtani?
According to MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, the Dodgers will be the next team to sign Ohtani when he hits the free agent market on Aug. 8. General manager Andrew Friedman is reportedly “obsessed” with Ohtani. “The Dodgers will reportedly pull out all the stops to sign Ohtani,” the outlet said. Some insiders believe the Dodgers are the favorite,” and predicted that Ohtani will be wearing blue next year.
Ohtani is the most sought-after free agent resource in this year’s Stovrig. And for good reason. He’s a two-way starter and a complete player. This season, Ohtani appeared in 23 games as a pitcher, going 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA in 132 innings. As a hitter, he hit .304 with 44 home runs, 95 RBI, 102 runs scored, a .412 on-base percentage, a .654 slugging percentage, and a 1.066 OPS in 135 games. Adding Ohtani would be a great way to bolster both the mound and the batting order.
However, injuries are a concern. Ohtani has an elbow injury. He underwent surgery and will need to rehabilitate, so he’ll only be able to play as a hitter in 2024. It”ll be a while before he can take the mound again as a pitcher. Locals believe that Ohtani won”t be able to throw a ball again until 2025. Even if he can’t do both, Ohtani is still the most attractive player on the free agent market.
There was talk early on that the Dodgers would be in the mix for Ohtani. It was expected that the Dodgers, who are looking to challenge for a pennant, would be eager to add talent this winter. The Dodgers suffered a humiliating loss in the postseason this year. After entering the postseason with a 100-62 record and a .617 winning percentage, the Dodgers were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks (84-78, .519), who finished fall baseball as the second best team in the West and the third wild card. Without a bolstered lineup, they won’t be able to make a run next year.
Ohtani’s asking price is expected to be more than $500 million. “Ohtani is the biggest free agent to dominate this offseason. He has made history in the major leagues so far. The superstar has 스포츠토토 done things that no one else has done. We’ve never seen anyone like him,” and predicted that Ohtani will receive the best deal in Major League Baseball history.
The Dodgers, New York Mets, and San Francisco Giants are among the teams in the running for Ohtani. The Mets, as always, have their eyes on free agency’s biggest names. San Francisco is considering signing Ohtani as a parting gift for manager Bob Melvin. It will be interesting to see which uniform Ohtani will wear.