Dodgers: How Shohei Ohtani’s Massive Deal with the Angels Could Affect L.A.

The big news around the league belongs to the Angels signing Shohei Ohtani to a one-year, $30 million deal for 2023 to avoid arbitration. Rumors have swirled about the potential availability of the superstar two-way player in a trade this coming offseason (which, as usual comes early for the Angels). Among the teams that pundits seem to think fit are the Dodgers.

Because the Dodgers are always in on everyone.

With Ohtani now under contract, rival teams will at least know what his dollar cost will be if he’s added to their roster. But any deal for a player of Ohtani’s caliber will require a massive prospect haul in return in order to acquire the star. Prospects and big league talent packages.

It’s no question the level of talent Ohtani brings to the MLB despite the disappointing seasons by the Angels pretty much since he came to the states. Ohtani only continues to get better and is considered a perennial two-way star amassing 80 home runs over the past two seasons with a .267 batting average.

Moreover, the two-time All-Star has also pitched to a career-best 2.35 ERA with 213 strikeouts in 2022. What does this mean for the Dodgers?

The Ohtani contact is a record for an arbitration-eligible player (11% above old record of $27M by Betts). His $24.5M raise Is the biggest year-to-year increase ever for a player, and it puts him in the top 10 as of now for 2023 salary and AAV.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) October 1, 2022

The chances remain high that Ohtani will not remain on the Angels by the end of the 2023 season, however, if the Dodgers were to make a move they will not only have to send a flurry of players and prospects, but they will also have to pay Ohtani a record breaking amount.

This will likely mean players like Clayton Kershaw, David Price or even Trea Turner may not be on the team. The Dodgers can make the luxury tax space but the question comes whether or not it’s worth it to pay such a massive haul for Ohtani.

Chances are when you go after a once-in-a-lifetime talent like Ohtani, it’s worth the risk. Not only for the skills he brings on the field but also for the amount of fans that will come and watch him play.

Ohtani is a risk worth taking, but now with Ohtani still under contract the Angels get to decide what makes the most sense for them with trade assets.

Looking for more Dodgers News? Subscribe to our YouTube Channel! Subscribe and hit that notification bell to stay up to date on all the latest news, updates, rumors, interviews, live streams, and more!