For about a year, I have been predicting that Shohei Ohtani will not be a Dodger. Until proven wrong, I stand by that… STILL! On November 11th, I wrote this:
“Everyone seems to revere Ohtani as “God-like,” and while he is an amazing talent, I think any team that is determined to sign him is going to regret it very much. I believe you are going to see him start to break down at much more regular intervals. Yes, he is a freak! But he is human, and as we age, injuries are part of the process. Our bodies do not recover as quickly. Ohtani credits sleep with being a recovery mechanism, and he sleeps up to 12 hours a night! He considers sleep as a “recovery” method… and he is right! Sleep is a recovery method that works. I have successfully used it to recover quickly from back surgery and cardioversion, which successfully eliminated A-Fib. I know that it works, but it still will not make Ohtani Superman.
—Mark Timmons
OK, I am going to say something, and here it is: Andrew Friedman will not give Ohtani a contract that hamstrings the Dodgers! Now, what that means exactly, I do not know. But here is what I do know: The Investment Group that bought the Dodgers paid the most ever as a group for the team (over $2 Billion Dollars), and while it is appreciating in value, investorswant, no… demand, an annual return on their capital, and the Dodgers deliver that! I think that anytime the Dodgers sign a player, they have to ask, “What is the worst-case scenario if we sign this player?”
What is the worst-case scenario with Shohei? OK, (1) He never recovers enough to be a successful pitcher again (OK, you could live with that); (2) He frequently is injured and maybe only averages 110 games a year; and (3) his power production goes down. If he was making $300 Million over ten years, you might be able to live with that, but you can’t pick and choose when injuries occur. However, if he commands $400 to $500 Million over 10 to 12 years, that is a contract that will hamstring the Dodgers.
See, what Andrew Friedman and the Dodgers are doing is different than any other team in baseball: They want to be relevant and contend every year… and they have done that for the past ten years, and there is no end in sight to that dominant streak. No other team in baseball does that. The fact that they have won only one World Series and were cheated out of another one in that run is not lost on intelligent fans. The morons don’t get it. I am not going to get into that aspect right now, as you can’t tell really stupid people anything! However, I am good with that. I would rather enjoy a winning team, year after year, than win a World Series and then tank for five years! You may feel differently… and that is your prerogative! With the way the playoffs have changed, it is a crapshoot to a large degree, and if you can’t understand that… especially after this season, the lights are on, but nobody is home.
So, unless Andrew Friedman comes up with some very creative way of mitigating risk while signing Ohtani, I do not think it is prudent for the Dodgers to do so, and even if the Dodgers do sign him, I will still abide by that. I do not think it is wise.“
There has been lots of disinformation on where Ohtani is going to land, and one website even proclaimed yesterday: “Shohei Ohtani to Sign with Toronto Blue Jays over Los Angeles Dodgers: Sources“. As of this minute, that is fake news. People are so eager to break a story that they have to make stuff up. I gained a lot of respect for Dave Roberts, who, earlier this week, did not play the Ohtani silent game and acknowledged that the Dodgers had met with Ohtani. Brandon Gomes and Andrew Friedman still play the role of Ohtani’s Little Bitches. I have lost some respect for them, but Andrew Friedman could step up as a man and regain that respect by saying, “Shohei, since you can’t make the decision, I will make it for you. Let me introduce our new DH – JD Martinez. Have a nice life!”
There is no Shohei in team! Move on from him now, Andrew! Let’s get on with the offseason deals.
There is a car similar to the one Ohtani drives, reported traveling south on the 405 towards San Diego. Oh my gosh, Ohtani is signing with the Padres! Someone inform MoroNsi so he can tweet it out!
everyone in sports media wants to be the first to report the big news! can’t hardly blame them. i just wish it would break and be done! ENOUGH!!! in a perfect w all teams would boycott his ass and he would go back to Japan! sure he’s a heavenly talent. but right now he’s a DH ! There’s no guarantee Walker B is ever gonna be the same pitcher he was, so how do we know ohthani is? a 5 year contract with incentives is all he deserves! if he pitches in 2025 bump him on up . if not you have the highest paid DH in history. would he look good in dodger lineup? absolutely! but so would 3 very good players too. Roberts and Cease can be had! Imangana can be had. Seth Lugo can be had. getter done!
The Dodgers should not lose out to the BluevJays. The organization has been planning to sign him for two years and they are going to allow the Blue Jays to best them?! Cole, Harper, Nola, Ohtani, that is a bad trend. Now they must get busy and act like a legitimate big time organization and sign two aces and a shortstop and a third baseman. The Dodgers should never lose to the Blue Jays!!!
“A legitimate big-time organization” wins 100 games every year. Ohtani will hamstring the Jays. The Dodgers will be a better team if they spread out that same money over two or three players without all the long-term consequences.
When you try and compare Cole and Nola, you are comparing apples to pineapples. Cole and Nola wanted to be where they are at… not LA. Harper? He was injured and now is a 1B. The Phillies will pay him $27 Million a year until 2031. No thank you! Any idiot can outbid someone at an auction. That’s what this is. I prefer to spend money wisely and up until now, the Dodgers have.
Bauer? Syndergaard?
Olivera, Kashmir, McCarthey, Kimbrel? To AF’s credit, he hasn’t made a killer long term mistake. How many mega, long term contracts would teams make again? Not many. Ohtani? Who knows but I’m guessing long term mistake.
Morrow, Blanton, Freeman, Betts, Anderson, Miller, Buehler, Phillips, Graterol, Smith, Lux, Muncy, Heyward, Outman…
McCarthy? Brett Anderson? Kahnle? Duffy? Reyes?
Feels good when the Dodgers go all in to win!! Lets go Dodgers!!
Breaking news; Ohtani is still undecided.
All good points, Mark.
But this may be driven by ownership, not the front office. When the new owners paid over $2 billion to acquire the Dodgers, it was well beyond the value of the organization. This can’t be based on baseball. There has to be something more.
There was “more”, there was a massive TV deal that would generate far more dollars than the two billion dollar purchase price and other revenue streams. The new owners knew something that no one else did. No one was projecting a deal of that magnitude.
As we look at Ohtani, we know that he generates new revenue streams for an organization. The Angels said that trading Ohtani in August would cost the club around $20 million.
Most of those dollars come from sponsorships, advertising and merchandise, not ticket and hot dog sales .
So when we try to determine how the team can afford a massive contract like this we would need to know the projections the Dodgers are using. So how would that work in Toronto? Apparently, pretty well since the Blue Jays are owned by Rogers Communication, well positioned to take advantage.
I still believe it’s too much money and it might be better to pursue pitching and fill some other holes.
So here are the questions that need to be asked if the Dodgers do indeed land Shohei.
Does this mean the Dodgers are no longer concerned about the luxury tax and all the penalties that are attached with going over it.
Can the Dodgers stay under the tax next season and in future years? What does that look like?
How will this impact future decisions, adding other players or signing players to future contracts. Will this signing become a boat anchor as the Dodgers move forward. What about financial flexibility? Is that no longer important.
Does this signing remove the Dodgers from pursuit of Yamamoto or other costly free agent pitchers?
You said in an earlier press conference the Dodgers needed to acquire established starting pitching through potential trades or the free agent market. Is that still the goal? Can the Dodgers still add that kind of talent and afford substantial contracts? Or does it mean the Dodgers will have to rely more on young starting pitching.
Do you expect Ohtani to resume pitching at a high level in 2025?
Do your believe that Ohtani is a difference maker when it comes to the playoffs? In your opinion is he the best hitter in baseball?
There could be more, obviously. But those questions need to be answered to give some clarity regarding the Dodgers future.
sometimes the best deals are the ones that you don’t make, or the ones that the players won’t let you make! Rendon, Nola, Stanton, even Bryce Harper. dodger fans are spoiled to an extent. winning will do that. i love winning the division every year . i also hate losing in the first round too! i realize it’s hard to argue with AF and sometimes criticize hm too. i’m not a fan of platoons! yes i know it’s been a winning formula. but as reported on mlb network, that’s a reason the giants have had a hard time recruiting stars to san francisco . but as long as Friedman is there i guess i’ll live with it. would love a big right handed hitter to man left field daily! Robert in center and a platoon in right! maybe santa clause will deliver. pay attention to the d-backs! not saying they will be better than dodgers, but pay attention! everyone having fun? lol
I’ve been looking in on this blog for a long time now and decided it’s time to chime in with my “opinion” on this:
To me Mark has nailed this all along. Ohtani is like the shiny new object when you’re a two year old. Why all the uproar over this guy? He’s a DH that doesn’t play the field, can’t pitch for at least a year and may not be the same when he does. His 6 season career stats are .274 avg, .922 OPS, one 100 RBI season, two 100 run seasons. His pitching record is 38-19, 3.01 ERA and requires a six man rotation! What is so 600 million dollar special about that? What are his defensive metrics? Oh, he doesn’t have any! How good is he going to be in 5 or 6 years from now when the team is shelling out 60 million a season for a DH on the decline? Instead of fans buying his jersey they’ll be burning it. Whoever loses out on this guy should be thankful. By the way, the new rumor is that he’s holding out for a better offer from the team he really wants to play for. AF anyone? Okay, I don’t take criticism well, but I’m ready!
And hello from Co. Springs to my neighbor Bear in Canon City.
Here’s a list of last year’s payrolls:
1. N.Y. Mets, $353,546,854
2. N.Y. Yankees, $276,999,872
3. San Diego, $248,995,932
4. Philadelphia, $243,009,439
5. L.A. Dodgers, $222,717,834
6. L.A. Angels, $212,228,096
Do you see any correlation between spend and success? It’s actually the opposite. … and it is a crapshoot! Any intelligent person knows that!
Howdy, Out in California now but I will be home the end of the month.
Enjoy Bear,you deserve it!! Celebrate this Joyous occasion.
Excellent points Old Dodger Nut!
AF was sighted this morning at the the Dollar General shopping for players. Will he ruin our Holidays and come up with bargain basement players or will he surprise us with big ticket quality players? Spend the 100 million in the budget and give us a chance to win a World Series in 2024.
Evidently, AF just wins 100 games every year with smoke and mirrors?
I think the Dodgers will be better off spending that money on more players… not just one.
I get the marketing aspect of signing Ohtani, but I’d rather have two $30MM players than one $60MM player. Actually, the Dodgers could probably sign three very good players for what Ohtani costs.
Here’s a list of last year’s payrolls:
1. N.Y. Mets, $353,546,854
2. N.Y. Yankees, $276,999,872
3. San Diego, $248,995,932
4. Philadelphia, $243,009,439
5. L.A. Dodgers, $222,717,834
6. L.A. Angels, $212,228,096
Anyone who thinks spending the most money will equal a Championship is a World Class Moron!
FACT: No MLB Team has spent more money on payroll than the Dodgers since Friedman has taken over.
FACT: No MLB team spends more on player development than the Dodgers, except possibly the Yankees.
To say that Friedman tries to go cheap is a flat-out fiction!
2022 Total luxury tax penalties (the 2023 Total is not yet in)
Dodgers: $32,397,344
Mets: $30,773,938
Yankees: $9,681,093
Phillies: $2,882,657
Padres: $1,524,638
Red Sox: $1,229,936
TOTAL: $78,489,606
It is interesting to think about what else we could buy for $600m.
Well, the Dodgers have about $100 MM to spend. If Ohtani takes up $60 MM, that only leaves $40 MM left.
Yamamoto – $28 MM
JD Martinez – $15 MM
Burnes – $15 MM
Imagana – $18 MM
Pham (Platoon with Heyward) – $8 MM
Kike – $8MM
Garver – $8 MM
That’s what not signing Ohtani could get you.
Big fat no on Pham, but I would be in on the others. Problem is, it seems we constantly get outbid on every top level guy and then you make comments like ” good for AF not making the dope fiend move” unfortunately that is what it takes to sign guys when there is other interest. Yamamoto is going to BIG!!!money that I don’t think you are going to want to pony up. If you don’t take a chance you’re going to miss out.
Why do you keep beating the Garver drum?
This is not a swipe at you, just want to know
Johnny, we were right !!!! It’s not our money !!! 700 million 10 years
You mean 700 million
I’m reading rumors of a lot of teams interested in Yamamoto and that’s no surprise. He’s my favorite free agent.
I’m also reading rumors of some teams interested in Imanaga and Lee. My 2nd and 3rd favorite free agents.
Also rumors of the D-backs considering Justin Turner, J.D. Martinez and Rhys Hoskins. Any of those 3 I’d like the Dodgers to have DHing. Justin Turner the least of the 3. And yeah, I’m a no on Ohtani.
When I hear these rumors, I get anxious about AF signing them before other teams beat him to it.
I don’t think you have too much worry about most of those guys signing before Ohtani decides and possibly not even before Yamamoto.
Any of the interested teams that don’t get those two are going to have money to spend which will drive up the market on JT, JDM, etc. so I would expect them to wait for at least another week or two if necessary.
I have said it a couple times so this is the last time- Please let Ohtani go to Toronto. People keep saying he will generate enough money to cover his costs. Maybe but all that money generated only covers his cost and doesn’t have much impact on baseball. I think most are looking at the advertising/PR impact and not improving the team. He is a DH and as someone else said “How many more homers and RBI’s will he provide versus JD (and at only $480 million more per year)? If there is any possibility signing Ohtani takes anything away from efforts to sign pitchers, then our management is more interested in PR than baseball. He will be a distraction, take focus off the team and be a roadblock to future efforts to improve the team. On top of all that his special rules and need to be secretive, with warnings for those that cross him, gets really old. He is going to be a headache.
480 million more per year?
I agree with all of you “No on Shohei” folks. In my mind the negatives outweigh the positives.
Morning guys. At this point I do not care where he signs, just get the circus over with.
For a good laugh-Joe Kelly’s wife…looks like she and Mariachi Joe are a perfect match
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0mrjSjvKHM/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
I like Crismatt as a signing. Good change, can be the long-arm in the pen.
Good price.
What’s not to like taking a flier on him?
Lots of dingbats posting this morning.
Blind Joe
Didn’t you say the same thing about Ryan Brasier
LOL! Yes, this is full on sarcasm and a bit of shade throwing, and maybe a little unfair to what may be a decent, under-the-radar signing, but it’s so well crafted it’s actually pretty hysterical. Well done! This is the kind of snark this place needs, not the snide preening of Bluto’s effort a couple of posts down.
Agree with this!
If you have nothing to contribute but snark, silly sarcasm and “shade throwing” this is a post for you! Indulge!
Much better than me calling out stupid posts.
To each their own!
There might be another Japanese pitcher to be posted, Roku Sasaki of the ChibaLotte Marines. In 2022 he pitched a 19 strikeout perfect game. At 22 years old he would be of interest to many teams. He has asked to be posted but it is unclear if his team will oblige. Note; Ohtani had the option to leave for the majors whenever he wanted included in his contract with Nippon Ham. Sasaki is thought to also have that clause in his deal with Chiba Lotte.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are expected to be one of his top suitors whenever he is posted. Top executive Andrew Friedman was in attendance for Sasaki’s bullpen sessions leading up to the most recent World Baseball Classic.
Another starting pitcher option. He’s 22 years old and his stats are better than Imanaga and about the same as Yamamoto and he’s 8 years younger than Imanaga and 3 years younger than Yamamoto. I’m sold, I want him more than Imanaga.
Shohei is a Dodger! Posted on his Instagram page
Yes, just saw it also and I love it!
700 M for 10 years. Stupid
A lot of the contract is deferred
Boat anchors just cost more and more these days. It might make sense somehow but not to me. But I don’t know squat and it’s not my money. It just seems reckless to me.
R U KIDDING ME!!!!!! That’s INSANE! All time DOPE FIEND MOVE! No way this works out! What can possibly be left to sign starting pitching?
Either AF has gone insane or we are all missing something.
There is some mention of deferred payments.
Yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!!! it’s not my money. I told you he was coming!!!! Mark you were wrong on this one. This was all ownership.
I agree…. this is the Guggenheim Partner’s Deal……and it is tied into their international investment business development objectives…..
There better be an out-clause for the Dodgers somewhere in the middle of this deal!
No opt-outs for either side
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan (X link), “most of” Ohtani’s salary will be deferred, as suggested by Ohtani himself. The intent is so that the Dodgers can continue to spend and add talent while somewhat lowering the luxury tax hit. Regardless of how the $700MM is eventually parceled out over the coming years or decades, Ohtani will be bringing in the single largest contract ever given to a professional athlete, topping the $674MM deal that soccer legend Lionel Messi signed with FC Barcelona for the 2017-21 La Liga seasons.
Shohei Ohtani asked to defer a lot of this cash to help us sign more people. That’s the type of guy he is, despite the nonsense some people said about him the past week.
To all those who didn’t want him, I have 29 other organizations’ phone numbers and am happy to make an introduction.
To those who do want him, LFG!
Love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Too many angry people on this site today. Xmas came early today.Celebrate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am happy, my exe girlfriend is not. She is an Angel fan. People need to wait until the entire roster is assembled at Camelback before make any kind of judgement.
What you are missing is the deferred money. Read everything before you post.
Finally! Huge victory!! Lets Go Dodgers!!!
The real question now is what is his dogs name?
Scully!!
Cash cow
They can’t defer the luxury tax hit the contract counts as 70 million a year towards the tax. All deferring does is decrease the actual yearly cost but it does nothing to reduce the luxury tax. Betts and Freeman both have deferred payments but it doesn’t reduce their luxury tax number. If it did all contracts would have half the amount deferred. My opinion is this is a dumb contract unless the Dodgers have some sort of out clause.
A trade is coming next for a pitcher and then a signing of Giolito.
That sounds right.
My preference is Burnes, followed by Cease.
Why not both? Seriously, Dodgers have the prospect capital to swing it–but I expect the Orioles to get one of these guys.
After this mega-Godzilla contract for Shohei, It’s a little hard to imagine the Dodgers committing much more in the free agent market.
And yet, and yet…
Ohtani’s presence could attract other free agents.
I find myself hoping that Yamamoto signs elsewhere–getting him would be overkill–but Imanaga would be nice.
Kike and Giolito have both talked about how exciting it would be to play with Shohei. (Giolito did so with the Angels.)
There is no opt out clause in the contract.
This is not true. The new contract last year changed this and deferred money doesn’t count towards the cap.
Pretty sure it’s the aav and deferrals don’t matter. This is straight from the MLB website.
A team’s Competitive Balance Tax figure is determined using the average annual value of each player’s contract on the 40-man roster, plus any additional player benefits. Every team’s final CBT figure is calculated at the end of each season. (Note: If a player signs a contract extension that doesn’t kick in until a later season, his AAV for the purposes of the CBT doesn’t change until the new deal begins.)
It’s all over the place right now, search for it. Without seeing the contract yet most insiders think with the deferred money it will about a $50 mil hit to the cap each year. The rule was changed in the last CBT.
I’m wrong just heard how it works on MLB radio. Don’t know the numbers but the example they used was 400 million deferred over 20 years counts as 20 million to the CBT plus 300 million for 10 years counts as 30 million to the CBT. Total cost is 50 million towards the CBT
Hoonstra and Morosi left holding the bag. We’ll get stories in the coming days that Ohtani committed to the Blue Jays and Hoonstra had multiple sources supporting his premature story only to realize the Dodgers made an 11th hour offer thereby allowing him to save face.
It’s crazy money and may not make sense but it makes us an immensely better team. Betts, Ohtani, Freeman and Smith. Good luck getting through that offensive line-up.
Now comes the MiLb talent moved to acquire pitching or what the hell just go get Yamamoto.
Good luck winning with our existing pitching staff! Mark, which category do you put this signing in? Mine or yours?
AF and ownership are NOT done yet!!
“Any idiot can outbid someone at an auction!”
Ownership of the Dodgers are not idiots but smarter on this subject than all the people on this site. Enjoy what just happened.
My sentiments exactly. Wait until the Dodgers assemble at Camelback ranch in February before making any judgements. They know nothing of how the contract is structured.
Arizona had no trouble getting through basically the same group in the playoffs. Dodgers didn’t need offense they need pitching and lots of it
Cool your jets. What is on the roster right now is not even what they will go to spring training with.
Ohtani is dodger
This was NOT AF’s decision. This was ownership’s final decision.
Yea, if there’s anyone who knows the Dodgers decision making process in general and specific its:
Andrew Vincent Forte or whatever this person’s real name is!
That’s my real name for 76 plus years.
Good name
I had a funny feeling when I read the Blue Jays were the favorite to get him but he was waiting on his favorite team to make a better offer. That smelled like AF trying to get away with a lower offer (that’s a good thing) knowing Ohtani’s favorite team is the Dodgers.
Why the hate for Mark?
You’re a good man, Eric. I love it.
Those that hate Mark may as well go fly a kite; Mark doesn’t care. Mark is a good dude; I know, I’ve met him.
Agreed. Mark is a lot like me, he cares less what people think about him. He loves the Dodgers and he loves this blog.
He may be a good man but he is. No doubt thinking about how he is going to spin this in his favor when we all know he should be eating crow. He was dead wrong and that’s ok at the end of the day.
But as a fan I love it! If we can pick up a couple of top starters this year. Dodgers must believe in young pitching prospects to keep payroll down next 6-7 years. Will AF blow us away again with 300 mil for Yamamoto?
Paraphrasing Mark……while the rest of baseball is playing checkers….the Guggenheim Dodgers are playing chess!
Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!!! Celebrate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m doing it!! I’m doing it!!
Wowwwwww. Just Wowwwwww.
10 years for 700 million. That is at least 100 million more than the wildest speculation were going.Dodgers must be very hopeful the man will pitch well in 2025
Still need two starting pitchers for 2024, one of them a top of the rotation guy.
Still a great day to be a Dodgers fan.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It’s astounding.
But when we started kicking around what an Ohtani contract might cost, it occured to me that a deal approaching $70 million AAV was possible–based on Dodger salaries alone.
The AAV of Bauer’s contract was $34 million, which nearly gets us halfway there.
The AAV of Mookie’s contract: $30.4 million. (Note that he got a big signing bonus, while Ohtani is getting a lot of deferred money.)
Anyway, that’s $64.4 million for one pitcher and one position player on deals closed in the last few years. So let’s add a few million in inflation. We’re getting closer to $70 million.
Now let’s factor in the extra value that derives from Ohtani’s international superstardom carried additional value. So we can easily justify $70 million.
Yes, this a long-term contract and carries the “boat anchor” risk. Bauer’s was for just three years–but it turned out that wasn’t exactly risk-free, was it?
(If anyone thinks Bauer is a victim, let’s recall that only his latest accuser has been exposed as trying to extort him. There were three others, and AF decided to sign him despite a variety of red flags about his character. Many Dodger fans opposed the Bauer signing for various reason. There’s no reason to think we have to worry about Ohtani’s character, is there?)
But in conclusion:
Wow. Just wow. Dodgers will have Mookie, Freddie and Shohei at the top of the order for through at least 2027, and possibly longer.
And now AF & Associates can fix the pitching.
Ohtani for $700 million seems crazy. But I will wait to see the contact details. The Dodgers probably recoup a lot of that money through prearranged streaming, deferrals, or other revenues. I think this contract will likely have negative ramifications for the Dodgers and the MLB long term. As Steve Phillips just said, even with Ohtani, the Dodgers are not a playoff team right now with their pitching staff. In my view, the Dodgers are creating problems with all of their other players who see so much money going to one guy who is a DH and injured. I wouldn’t be surprised if in 2024 Ohtani underperforms what the Dodgers got from JDM at DH for $10 million last year. But then again, in six years in the MLB, Ohtani has never made an out in the postseason yet!
The Angels have the toughest pill to swallow in seeing Ohtani not just leave, but head across town to the other Los Angeles team. Because the Halos were just barely able to maneuver themselves under the luxury tax threshold, the Angels will maximize their compensatory return for Ohtani, who naturally rejected a qualifying offer. Anaheim will now get a compensatory pick after the second round of the 2024 draft, which is admittedly small consolation for losing one of the singular talents that the game has ever seen. There hasn’t been any sense what the Angels are planning to rebuild or take a step back now that Ohtani is gone, as the team has reportedly still been trying to add top-end talent to finally get back into contention.
Dodgers themselves lose 2 picks and 1 million dollars in international signing money. So, folks can forget about them signing any of the remaining free agents who were given a QO. But think what this does for Betts with Ohtani and Freeman hitting behind him. Mookie is going to get some REALLY FAT pitches.
Right.
And also think what this new lineup does for Ohtani. He’ll be coming up a lot more often with runners on base. Last year, the Dodgers had 4 players reach 100 RBI–Mookie, Freddie, Max and JDM.
Meanwhile, Ohtani hit only 95 RBI. And he knocked himself in 44 times.
Last year, he won the MVP for a crappy team while even Trout missed half the season. And in the half that Trout played, his performance was far below his lofty standards. inrobably had his worst season since his debut at age 19.
Maris doesn’t hit 61 HRs without Mantle batting behind him.
Ohtani hit 44 HRs in 137 games with Trout missing half time and no other stars in the lineup.
My prefered lineup starts Mookie, Freddie, Shohei. All three have on-base percentages near the .400 mark. I just want to keep Mookie and Freddie together, because they were dynamite in ’23.
Smith and Max will be coming up to bat a lot with guys on base, except when Shohei clears the bases.
guess LeBron will sign with the dodgers now. he won’t have to travel to far with his talents!
Sarcasm love it. LeBron is the ultimate ass wipe.
Agreed. That would be the one move that could drive me from MLB completely
I love the people being upset at this move.
As I said well before this move, lots of dingbats.
it’s a lot of money! but, he’s not Assrod. he’s not Big head Bonds. he’s not Sosa. he’s not Tatis, Machado, or any of those guys. he is one hell of a hitter, and pitcher if he is all the way back in 25! and comparing him to Soto. he would probably be a better outfielder than soto. and better baserunner. now if he never pitches again he will always be considered somewhat of a bust. once baseball starts , most dodger fans will forget about the contract unless he hits .225 with 13 homers. now waiting on the yankees to start crying about we are the evil empire. that’s because ohthani didn’t want to play for them. hey , my 10 year old grandson is over run with joy!! and for me , that makes it worth it!
What did Guggenheim see in the doctor report That made this decision to sign Ohtani
Do you need to ask?
https://x.com/TheBabylonBee/status/1733608008251326528?s=20
It’s an absurd, irresponsible, dope fiend signing … but who cares? It’s a good pivot away from meticulously building a value based, deep and resilient regular season team just to have them lose out to the vagaries of the playoffs.
Now, instead of looking at the regular season as a means to an end – getting to the playoffs with home field advantage (which doesn’t help), only to see them get bounced and feel like that 162 game season was a waste – now I can just watch the best baseball player on Planet Earth play for the team I love for 162 games. It’s entertainment. I’ll take it.
Bummer. I guess that means the Dodgers aren’t going to sign Jordan Montgomery and his 4.00 ERA. Oh well.
Well the Dodgers had the choice of going big or going home. They went big, really big. Based on what we think we know at this point, the Dodgers cut a deal that apparently defers quite a bit of money, Ohtani’s idea, so that explains how the Dodgers move forward and be able to add veteran pitchers for 2024.
Signing with LA is good for baseball. Major market, chance to win it all and it will definitely excite the fan base.
Will the Dodgers pursue Yamamoto? It has been reported the Dodgers really like 22 year Roki Sasaki. He has asked to be posted. There was a report he has a clause in his contract allowing him to get posted. If that’s true, the Dodgers would probably be all over it.
Beyond that, expect the Dodgers to push hard in the trade market.
FINALLY!! Hard to process at the moment but needless to say, a historic moment in sport’s history!! I’m with Bear on this….. let the dust settle and let’s see who all shows up at Camelback in February. Congrats to those on the site who were pro Ohtani signing (especially Andrew Vincent Forte) and to Mark and those against the signing…… try to enjoy this historic moment today and let’s see what else AF & Co do up until ST. Love this site and all the passion expressed but if I may offer just one suggestion….. Bluto, you really need to get laid, brah!!!!
I’ve been saying all along that I thought it would be a bad move for the Dodgers to give a deal like this to Ohtani. I don’t know why they didn’t listen to me. 🙂 I’ve been a Dodgers fan for over 70 yrs. I hope I’m around long enough to see him prove that he was worth it.
Go-o-o-o-o Dodgers!
What I really can’t believe is that Ohtani came to the Dodgers after that pride day so event with the sisters of intolerance.!
way to go bluto! always someone bringing everyone else down!
LOL
Never in doubt
Yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss Johnny!!!!!!!
The second half of that contract is gonna painful, but not my money!!!
Looking forward to seeing what that lineup looks like. Potent!
The Dodgers brand just took a huge boost in Japan.
Go Dodgers!
Think about all the free agents stateside and worldwide Ohtani will attract. It’s great to be a Dodger fan! I love It!
Still find the numbers to be dumb but he’s here now and three MVPs at the top of the is going to be fun.
I wonder if the Ohtani signing is a plus or minus for signing Yamamoto? I’m guessing Yamamoto doesn’t want to play 2nd fiddle.
We will not be signing Yamamoto. Steve Cohen the owner of the Mets flew to Japan and had dinner with Yamamoto and his family. Word in NY is he will not be overbid. More than likely a trade for Cease, Glasnow or Burrnes and possibly a Giolito signing. They have to clear two spots on the 40 man right now just for Kelly and Ohtani.
Roster spots will likely be cleared via trade.
I am so bummed that I can’t find the wonderful LA Times piece on Ohtani when he was new on the Angels. I can’t wait for all the coverage he will be enduring. Kershaw will have lots to share with him, as he is snake-bit in the off season & incurs the wrath from bleeders of blue. Let’s hope Shohei & Clayton become dynasty builders. RIP Donnie Moore.
Now that is the definition of an offer you cannot refuse! About time! Lets go Dodgers!!
Now lets trade for Burnes and Adames and get to 40!
700mil
And here I thought the Dodgers needed A few fighters .
Dodgers upcoming marketing campaign slogan:
OHTANIMANIA coming to a stadium near you!
This might help in understanding the deferrals in Ohtani’s contract and the CBT implications.
https://x.com/JeffPassan/status/1733617544471216149?s=20
Excellent read and understanding of the 700 million contract and its future affects on the Dodger payroll.
Earvin Magic Johnson
@MagicJohnson
A big thank you to Shohei for deciding to wear Dodger blue! I know all Dodger fans around the world are extremely happy and excited that you decided to join our organization and we welcome you to Dodger nation!
@Dodgers
What’s Soto going to be asking for in 2025?
Good question.
Someone suggested 15y/$675m
!!!
Give credit when credit is due: great job Friedman and Gomes and the entire Dodgers organization, thank you for going all in to get a championship back to our beloved Dodgers!!!
Some here thought AF was playing chess, but he was really playing monopoly
Good line
Curtis Flood must be smiling ear to ear !!!
I’m a bit confused here…..I’m not sure why some of you think Ohtani is the missing link for us winning championship after championship for the next 5 years?
Doesn’t pitching win in the playoffs? Last time I checked, Ohtani won’t be pitching in 2024 and maybe beyond.
So, do you really think he can make that much of a difference with his bat? May I remind you what we all saw our two superstars did in the playoffs this past year….nothing….absolutely nothing. Still think the great Oh can make THAT MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE all by himself?
If you say, “yes” I respect that….you want to believe…..so do I….but apart from Jesus, it’s not easy for me to believe that one man who is not a pitcher can make that much of a change IN THE PLAYOFFS.
Thanks for listening and it’s okay if you don’t agree with me. I admit, I don’t follow baseball like most of you guys….but I do have a sound mind and a lot of common sense.
Cheers,
TM
No pitching doesn’t win in the playoffs. But not having pitching, like the Dodgers had last post-season, is a recipe for disaster.
Ohtani is the best or 2nd best player in all of MLB, of course he will make a positive difference.
No single player is the “missing link” to a championship, I can’t recall anyone on LADT ever claiming that Ohtani is. I think your “missing link” is a straw man.
What I do recall is that many people, including myself, declared that he is simply the best player in the game. And seriously, I don’t really don’t think it’s close.
Who’s on the short list of top hitters? Acuna, Mookie, Judge, Soto, Freddie–and Ohtani. He just led the majors in OPS. An injury kept him out of 27 games and kept him from reaching 50 HRs–but he still lead the AL in total bases.
When he’s healthy, Ohtani is also a Top Ten pitcher. Injuries limited him to 132 innings in ’23, which was not enough to “qualify” for the leader boards but was was one more inning than Kershaw, who improbably led the Dodgers. Ohtani racked up 167 Ks, a K/9 of 11.87, second only to Spencer Strider. On a losing team, he finished with a record of 10-5 with a 3.15 ERA. His batting-average against was .184, and his WHIP was 1.06. Blake Snell won the NL Cy with similar stats: a .181 BAA, 1.19 WHIP and an 11.7 K/9.
So yeah, Ohtani is pretty good.
As a sportswriter pointed out today, Ohtani would have won three consecutive MVPs if not for Aaron Judge breaking Maris’s record.
Does Ohtani guarantee a World Series championship? Of course not. It’s a team sport in which the difference between winning and losing can be a bobbled throw. Is there a risk that he won’t come back from his second TJ in good form. Sure there is. But Eovaldi, a power pitcher like Ohtani, came back from his second TJ and helped lead the Rangers to the World Series. I wouldn’t bet against Ohtani.
AF must think he’ll be back on the mound in ’25. Sure looks like Ohtani’s injury and surgery didn’t depress his price much.
But the key to winning the WS could be the pitchers that the Dodgers get. But it’s nice to know that Ohtani should be doing his part too.
If it’s safe to say Ohtani got a deal similar to Bobby Bonilla Asking for a friend
Earvin Magic Johnson
@MagicJohnson
A big big congratulations and job well done to my partner and Dodgers majority owner Mark Walter, Stan Kasten, Andrew Friedman, and the rest of the Dodgers organization for signing Shohei Ohtani!
@Dodgers
Get your own blog, chico.
Mark is a baller.
Well said Johnny!
Agree completely! LADT is the best sports site I have ever been on involving multiple sports; professional and college! Thanks Mark for all your efforts and Old Bear for your able assistance….Go Dodgers!
I never wanted Kershaw back before but now I think I do. #3 starter, Clayton Kershaw!
I’m still incredibly bullish on Pepiot, Sheehan & Stone. Miller is de facto #1 and Buehler is #2 if healthy. Need that #3 in the rotation. We’ll probably buy one.
Imanaga is my pick. Stroman might be my next one, followed by Giolito.
To get Burnes and/or Cease, I think the Dodgers would have to part with a few of the quality pitching prospects.
It seems that Dodger brass rate Pepiot ahead of Sheehan. And my guess, base on his ’23 performance, is that other teams would prefer Sheehan to Stone, Frasso, Knack, Ryan, ???.
Seriously, Mark may have been wrong about AF’s willingness to pay Shohei the Godzilla money, but he could be right about that blockbuster with the Brewers!
But I’d settle for Burnes.
And I do suspect Giolito (or someone like him) and a lefty like Imanaga (or maybe a Ryu return) could be in the works.
Mark’s probably working on an Ohtani writing for tomorrow. For those who’s asked where he’s at.
Man, some of you need to be patient. Dodger decision on how to pursue two starting pitchers was dependent on the Ohtani signing. The two starters will be pitchers that don’t cost draft compensation (like Imanoga, Giolito) or pitchers acquired in a trade (like Cease or Glasnow).
The decision to sign Ohtani is great news for Dodgers on the field. Of course there is risk. And it is a lot of money. But it is not my money and there were many teams willing to shell out similar money for his performance on the field and the marketing impact off the field. A line up fronted by Betts, Freeman, and Ohtani and backed up by Will Smith, Max Muncy is a great start. Dodgers have been signaling this move in this off season for a while now and to their credit they pulled it off. No doubt they have a sequence of moves mapped out to fill out their roster and they will hope to execute that plan in the coming weeks. Interested to see how it all shakes out.
I’m shocked at the number. But the devil is in the details. I will withhold my opinion until the full details of the contract are released.
I will say this. I’ve given up explaining to people the concept of “time value of money”. The Bobby Bonilla contract wasn’t stupid. Or was the contract the Reds gave to Griffey Jr. Money tomorrow is worth less than money today. Money you defer can be invested and earns a return. And even if you offer interest on that deferred money the party offering the deferment can still end up significantly ahead. It’s the magic of compound interest. Bobby Bonilla would have been much better off taking the money upfront, and investing it. The Mets were smart in structuring the contract in that way. Regardless what Met fans complain about every year.
We will see what this contract really looks likes. It likely won’t be public until after Ohtani’s physical and press conference.
I’m happy he’s a Dodger. I reserve judgment in if this is or isn’t a good contract until I see the details.
Good point Jayne Cobb.
The details of the contract are important and could greatly reduce the AAV. Good article by Eric Stephen in True Blue LA about deferrals in Betts and Freeman contracts. The AAV is reduced by 20% in Betts contract by deferrals. The Ohtani contract could be even more of a reduction. Passan estimated a $40-$50 million AAV is possible in Ohtani contract. And some say that the Dodgers will make at least $40-50 million in incremental revenue from Ohtani each year.
Despite the sticker shock, the Dodgers will likely find a way to profit from this crazy contract.
And certainly they will add more pitching for 2024.
First, when Timmons takes a crap, more knowledge of Dodger baseball is flushed than most of us will ever know.
Worried about being very left handed dominate when it comes to the Dodgers line up. I know the splits on several players isn’t good.
Can someone give us the splits between right handed pitching vs. left handed pitching. Thank you
In 2023, the Dodgers hit .246 against LHP and had a .334 OB% to go with a .787 OPS.
In 2023, the Dodgers hit .262 against RHP and had a .343 OB% to go with a .799 OPS.
I hope that helps.
Troll much?