In the winter of 2017, when Shohei Ohtani, 29, was looking to make the jump from Nippon Professional Baseball to Major League Baseball, he narrowed down the final seven clubs in contention and presented them with a common questionnaire. It was a test for the teams to determine which club was the best fit to fulfill their dreams. The clubs that already knew he was going to be a big-time player, even though he was only twenty-three years old and knocking on the door of the American stage, answered, and Ohtani chose the Los Angeles Angels.
After six years of failing to reach his dream World Series, the successful pitcher and hitter made another choice as a free agent. This time, he chose the Los Angeles Dodgers. He chose the Los Angeles Dodgers because they were the closest team to the World Series that was based in Los Angeles, where he had lived since he arrived in the United States.
The Dodgers won the World Series in 2020. It was the first time in 12 years since 1988. After winning the National League Championship in 2017 and 2018 and missing the World Series twice in the intervening years, the Dodgers finally won it in 2020 and then missed the World Series for another three years in a row. Last year, they led all 30 clubs in wins with a whopping 109, but were swept by the San Diego Padres in the Division Series, and this year, after reaching 100 wins, they were swept in three games by Arizona in the Division Series. The strongest team in the regular season, but a weak fall period.
Arguably the hottest free agent in Major League Baseball history, Ohtani chose the Dodgers because he believes they can be a perennial powerhouse. “The questions he asked during his visit to Dodger Stadium earlier this month were about the organization’s player development philosophy and the state of its minor league system,” according to Sports Illustrated, “because he wanted to know whether the team would be a sustainable powerhouse if he signed a long-term contract of 10 years or more.” Once again, Ohtani asked questions and made choices. He chose to go to a team that would be able to stay strong and fulfill his dream of finishing the job.
The Dodgers have been a powerhouse since the 2010s, investing heavily in high-end players. Even after their most recent World Series victory, they continued to invest heavily. They signed Mookie Betts to a 12-year, $365 million contract after winning the title in 2020, and inked infielder Freddie Freeman to a six-year, $162 million deal in 2022. With the signing of Ohtani on Tuesday to a 10-year, $700 million deal, the largest in the history of sports on the planet, the Dodgers have gained a formidable pitcher and hitter at the same time. 랭크카지노
Following the announcement of the Ohtani signing, Major League Baseball’s official website projected the Dodgers’ batting order for next year as Betts-Freeman-Otani. Betts, the 2018 American League MVP, Freeman, the 2020 National League MVP, and Ohtani, the unanimous American League MVP in 2021 and this year, are a dream team at the plate. With Max Muncy signed for three more years, the Dodgers also have the American League’s home run leader, Oh.