As Shohei Ohtani gets set for his sixth campaign with the Los Angeles Angels, one question reminds looming in regard to the two-way phenom himself.
How much money will Ohtani make in his next contract?
After two Major League Baseball All-Star Game appearances, a league MVP, an “MLB The Show” cover and most recently a World Baseball Classic MVP, Ohtani is destined to have the brink trucks backed up to his front door, right? He’s just 28 years of age, plus has more upside than any player we’ve ever lived to watch take the diamond — or in this case, the mound and batter’s box.
Well, ESPN’s Buster Olney added some sense of clarification, providing a ballpark range of what could be expected from Ohtani’s free agency in 2024.
“It’s going to be the year of Ohtani, there’s no doubt about it,” OIney said Wednesday on ESPN’s ‘Get Up’ program. “Think about it. In the WBC, he had the hardest hit ball — 118 mph. He had the hardest pitched ball — 102 mph. And yes, I think the Angels will keep him throughout the year. … The question at that point is, ‘Is the offer that he signs start with the number five or start with the number six?’ $500 million-plus, $600 million-plus. I think it’s gonna be $600 million dollars plus.”
While the dollar amounts are incomprehensible, so is Ohtani, which further justifies the estimate. Ohtani is a once-in-a-lifetime talent, who essentially provides any team with a two-in-one player. He can pitch at the top of a rotation and he can hit at the top of a lineup also.
“(New York) Mets, (Los Angeles) Dodgers, maybe the (New York) Yankees, maybe the (Seattle) Mariners,” Olney said. “… It’s gonna have enormous bidding for the best player in the world.”
Ohtani batted .273 with 34 home runs and 95 RBIs in the batter’s box, while simultaneously going 15-9 with a 2.33 ERA and 1.01 WHIP on the mound last season for the Angels.
The Japanese native carried that dominance throughout the WBC, hitting an impressive .435/.606/.739 with a home run, four doubles and eight RBIs while also winning two games on the hill and recording the championship-winning save against the United States.
Ohtani, as expected, was named MVP of the WBC, adding the cherry on top of leading Japan to a perfect 7-0 tournament appearance.
All that’s left now is to wait, let Ohtani be Ohtani and allow the numbers to speak for themselves.
