Shohei Ohtani’sMLB future seems to already have a deadline as the player zeroes in on who he will play for in the 2024 season.
The Japanese player is expected to decide sometime this week the team for which he will sign what is expected to be one of the most lucrative contracts in the history of world sports.
Watch Shohei Ohtani try to go unnoticed as he was spotted at an airport in Japan
Jon Morosi, who works for MLB Network, assured that the Japanese player could announce his new team this week.
After six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani, two-time American League MVP winner, is ready to decides his new landing spot, and beyond the money, Ohtani is looking for a team with aspirations of reaching and winning the World Series, something he was never able to fight for with the Angels.
Despite elbow surgery that could prevent him from returning to the mound until the 2025 season, it’s clear that Ohtani’s value in the batter’s box is something that could work for any team in the short term.
What teams are in the mix to sign Ohtani?
Among the teams that are the most talked about as possible destinations for Ohtani are the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and Toronto Blue Jays, although the San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees, a team that could use a new star in its lineup, haven’t been ruled out.
Ohtani joining the Yankees is somewhat complicated, but not impossible, for economic reasons.
Ohtani’s contract is expected to exceed $500 million, which would set a new MLB record and even surpass the earnings of current Bronx Bombers star Aaron Judge, who in 2023 signed a nine-year, $360 million contract extension, giving Judge a record $40 million per season.
The biggest contract in the Majors is that of Ohtani’s still Angels teammate, outfielder Mike Trout, who in 2019 signed for 12 years and $426.5 million, or an average of more than $35 million per year.
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