Along the way, he has become one of the most marketable athletes in the world, a force when it comes to ticket sales, TV ratings and sponsorship revenue. Nobody has come close to matching his achievements at the plate and on the mound, becoming one of the majors’ elite players in both roles when healthy. Ohtani has redefined modern baseball since he chose the Angels as his first major league team. Ohtani’s decision came six years and one day after he first agreed to his deal with Angels. Los Angeles begins the 2024 season in Seoul, South Korea, against San Diego on March 20-21. The Dodgers won the NL West this year for the 10th time in 11 seasons before they were swept by Arizona in the Division Series in October. Ohtani joins a lineup that also includes 2018 AL MVP Mookie Betts and 2020 NL MVP Freddie Freeman. “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.” “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,” he continued. “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.” “I apologize for taking so long to come to a decision,” Ohtani said in an English-language statement on Instagram. Ohtani has not spoken with reporters since Aug. There was no immediate comment by the Dodgers. This is perhaps the largest contract in sports history, topping highs believed to be set by soccer stars Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé. “Shohei and I want to thank all the organizations that reached out to us for their interest and respect, especially the wonderful people we got to know even better as this process unfolded.” “He structured his contract to reflect a true commitment from both sides to long-term success,” Balelo said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the details were not announced. His agreement includes unprecedented deferred money that will lower the amount it counts toward the Dodgers’ luxury tax payroll, a person familiar with the agreement told The Associated Press. It also exceeds the entire payrolls of Baltimore and Oakland this year. Ohtani’s average salary nearly doubles the roughly $42.3 million he earned with the Angels. His $70 million average salary is 62% above the previous high of $43,333,333, shared by pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander with deals they struck with the New York Mets. Ohtani’s total was 64% higher than baseball’s previous record, a $426.5 million, 12-year deal for Angels outfielder Mike Trout that began in 2019. “He is excited to begin this partnership, and he structured his contract to reflect a true commitment from both sides to long-term success.” “This is a unique, historic contract for a unique, historic player,” Balelo said. In recent days, media and fans had tracked private plane movements and alleged sightings like detectives in attempts to discern the intentions of the two-time AL MVP with the Angels. His agent, Nez Balelo, issued a midafternoon news release Saturday announcing the 10-year contract, ending months of speculation that began even before Ohtani became a free agent on Nov. NEW YORK (AP) - Shohei Ohtani has set a financial record to go along with his singular on-field performance, getting $700 million to make a 30-mile move up Interstate 5 to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |