Dodgers Rumors: Shohei Ohtani May Be Open to a Shorter Term Deal

Entering the offseason, the Dodgers first priority is landing two-way superstar free agent Shohei Ohtani. The team has been trying to get Ohtani into Dodger Blue since he was in high school, and they will be getting another chance this offseason.

Ohtani will have no shortage of suitors due to his generational skill set, but the Dodgers need him in a way. It has been expected that Ohtani would receive the largest contract in baseball history, but there are no reports that he may be interested in a shorter-term deal that pays more.

“Five-hundred – as in $500 million, an unprecedented milestone for a North American professional athlete. That type of free-agent contract, of course, would require a long-term commitment. But people familiar with Ohtani’s thinking believe he might be open to a short-term deal with an exceedingly high average annual value, a circumstance that would open up a host of suitors this offseason.”

Per Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com

If Ohtani is open to signing a shorter-term deal this offseason, it may benefit the Dodgers even more. They have been the biggest supporters of shorter deals with a high AAV each year, and they could offer Ohtani whatever he wanted on a few-year basis.

It would give both sides a way to see how they fit together during the duration of the deal. Ohtani then gets to re-enter the free agent market as a two-way player in a few years, while getting LA the best player in the game.

This could be seen as a win for the Dodgers if this is the case, and the front office would be jumping for joy. Ohtani is well worth whatever contract he receives this offseason, and landing with the Dodgers could provide him with the best of both worlds.

LA can give him the financial compensation that he is looking for, while simultaneously giving him the chance to win the World Series each season. He also wouldn’t have to leave Southern California, and would just need to ride up the I-5 freeway to join his new team.

It remains to be seen what type of deal Ohtani takes this winter, or where he ultimately signs. But the Dodgers remain the frontrunner for his services, and hopefully, he will be a member of the team when the dust finally settles.

Photo Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

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