The Los Angeles Dodgers invested important resources to bring in Shohei Ohtani.
The contract they gave him shatters the previous record one, held by Mike Trout, of $426.5 million.
A large amount of the money will be deferred, but in total, the Dodgers will pay Ohtani $700 million over 10 years.
He is now likely to end his career as a Dodger after spending his first six seasons as a member of the Los Angeles Angels.
Ohtani’s first official game in a Dodgers uniform will be on March 20.
No, it won’t be at Dodger Stadium.
It won’t even be in America.
It will be for the 2024 MLB World Tour in Seoul, South Korea.
According to MLB insider Bob Nightengale, ESPN will broadcast it.
“MLB announces that ESPN will broadcast the Dodgers-Padres games on March 20-21 in Seoul, Korea. This will be Shohei Ohtani’s first games in a Dodgers’ uniform. Should be quite the scene,” he tweeted.
MLB announces that ESPN will broadcast the Dodgers-Padres games on March 20-21 in Seoul, Korea.
This will be Shohei Ohtani’s first games in a Dodgers’ uniform.
Should be quite the scene.— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 11, 2023
There will be worldwide interest in seeing Ohtani, who is a global star as the 2023 World Baseball Classic triumph and the second AL MVP award he won proved.
The game could have historic highs in ratings in Korea and there will be plenty of interest in America, Latin America, and other locations.
Fresh off hitting 44 home runs and driving in 95 runs in 2023, Ohtani won’t be able to pitch in 2024 due to an elbow injury.
The Dodgers have all the time in the world to wait for him, though, and will enjoy his incredible offensive contributions (and potentially in the outfield, too) starting in 2024.
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