Shohei Ohtani will remain in Los Angeles, but as a member of the Dodgers, he announced Saturday.
With that said, the record-breaking deal for $700 million over 10 years that he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers wasn’t the only offer he received in free agency.
According to Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith, citing sources, the Toronto Blue Jays’ “best offer was in the same financial ballpark as the Dodgers.”
Nicholson-Smith added a source familiar with the talks said the deal from the Blue Jays was “right there,” along with the Dodgers, describing it as a competitive offer.
No specifics appeared to be given.
Ohtani announced his decision on his personal Instagram on Saturday:
To all the fans and everyone involved in the baseball world, I apologize for taking so long to come to a decision. I have decided to choose the Dodgers as my next team.
First of all, 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. Especially to the Angels fans who supported me through all the ups and downs, your guys’ support and cheer meant the world to me. The six years I spent with the Angels will remain etched in my heart forever.
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. 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.
There are some things that cannot be conveyed in writing, so I would like to talk more about this again at a later press conference.
Thank you very much.
There had been false information reported by MLB Network’s Jon Morosi saying the two-way phenom had been on a flight to Toronto on Friday night. That ultimately proved to be untrue and Morosi since apologized for the erroneous report, but the Jays were indeed in on Ohtani.
This is believed to be the biggest contract in sports history. And rightfully so.
Ohtani is coming off of his third All-Star selection and second AL MVP this season where he slashed .304/.412/.654 with a league-leading 1.066 OPS. He also earned the coveted Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award.
