Shohei Ohtani could become MLB’s highest-paid player ever next season. The Los Angeles Angels superstar signed a one-year contract with the team worth $30 million earlier this year. That has led to rampant speculation that Ohtani, the 2021 American League MVP and 2022 runner-up, could net an absolutely massive contract from a club in 2024.
That thought has circulated around all of Major League Baseball. According to Alden González of ESPN.com, the figure for Ohtani in the open market is a whopper.
González wrote, “In 10 months, barring a last-minute extension with the Los Angeles Angels, it’ll be Shohei Ohtani’s turn to venture into the open market. And one number keeps being brought up by the many who have pondered the two-way star’s next contract: $500 million.”
So Ohtani could become baseball’s first Half Billion-Dollar Man if that figure is met. Considering what he brings to the table, it’s not a farfetched suggestion at all.
The two-way superstar will turn 29 years old this July. He has dismissed any questions about his durability and his play despite the great demands of both hitting and pitching. He’s proven to be an exceptional talent as he’s started to really round into form.
The Angels would be wise to keep him, but it’s anyone’s guess whether that happens or not. Ohtani will have absolutely no shortage of suitors if he hits the open market.
[ESPN]
About Chris Novak
Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022