Major League Baseball (MLB) is closing in on the destination of Shohei Ohtani, 29, one of the biggest names in free agency history.
The MLB concluded its 2023 offseason with the Texas Rangers winning the World Series on July 2 (KST). Some teams announced player extensions as soon as the World Series ended, and by the morning of July 7, teams and players had decided to exercise their options, kicking off the free-agent market.
Then, on the 7th, the Stobrig began in earnest. Before the players, it was the manager, Max Er, who made the first move. Craig Counsell, who led the financially strapped Milwaukee Brewers to five postseason appearances in nine years, signed a five-year, $40 million ($52 billion) contract with the Chicago Cubs. The $8 million per year average is the highest ever for an MLB manager.
Key players also entered the free agency process in earnest. In addition to Ohtani, seven players, including Blake Snell, Josh Hader, and Cody Bellinger, received qualifying offers from their original clubs. If a player receives a qualifying offer, he will sign a one-year, $2.025 million contract to remain with the team. If the player declines, he becomes a free agent and the original club receives a rookie draft pick from the new team. On August 8, the 30 team owners will meet in Scottsdale, Arizona. That’s where the big free agents will likely decide their destinations. 보스토토
With all seven players likely to decline qualifying offers, all eyes are on Ohtani. He underwent right elbow surgery this year, but his commodity value as a free agent is solid. The consensus is that he’s one of the best pitchers and hitters in baseball over the last three years and will be hard to find again in MLB history. The Athletic’s Jim Borden believes his 10-year, $477.7 million guaranteed contract with options based on pitching performance will total more than $500 million, while the same outlet’s Tim Britton projects a 12-year total of $525 million based on MLB contracts and player performance over the past decade. Major League Baseball Trade Rumors (MLBTR), which covers trade rumors, also projected Ohtani’s contract to be 12 years and $528 million.