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Shohei Ohtani. | Photo courtesy of Vera26/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Former Angels star Shohei Ohtani is staying in Southern California but switching uniforms, agreeing to a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the richest deal in baseball history, it was announced Saturday.
“To all the fans and everyone involved in the baseball world, I apologize for taking so long to come to a decision. I have decided to choose the Dodgers as my next team,” Ohtani wrote on Instagram.
“First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone involved with the Angels organization and the fans who have supported me over the past six years, as well as to everyone involved with each team that was part of this negotiation process,” the Japanese-born superstar continued. “Especially to the Angels fans who supported me through all the ups and downs, your guys’ support and cheer meant the world to me. The six years I spent with the Angels will remain etched in my heart forever.
“And to all Dodgers fans, I pledge to always do what’s best for the team and always continue to give it my all to be the best version of myself. Until the last day of my playing career, I want to continue to strive forward not only for the Dodgers but for the baseball world.
“There are some things that cannot be conveyed in writing, so I would like to talk more about this again at a later press conference.
“Thank you very much.”
Born in Oshu, Japan, the 29-year-old Ohtani burst onto the American sports scene in 2018 when he hit 22 home runs in his first year with the Angels while going 4-2 with a 3.31 earned-run average in 10 games as a starting pitcher.
His two-way prowess only grew in subsequent years, drawing comparison to Babe Ruth, the only other player in MLB history with comparable success as both a batter and a pitcher. In his six seasons in Anaheim, Ohtani batted .274 with 171 home runs and 437 runs batted in, while going 38-19 on the mound with a career ERA of 3.01.
He won the American League’s Most Valuable Player award in 2021 after hitting 46 home runs and posting a 9-2 record as a pitcher.
But the Angels struggled to compete during Ohtani’s tenure, failing to make the postseason even once despite the presence of fellow superstar Mike Trout in the lineup. His free agency at the conclusion of the 2023 season touched off one of the most intense bidding wars in baseball history, with the Toronto Blue Jays mentioned as a front runner as recently as Friday night.
