Dodgers Still ‘All-In’ on Shohei Ohtani After Injury, What Could His Contract Look Like?
All season long, Dodger fans have dreamt about Shohei Ohtani in Dodger blue — and maybe even whipped up a Photoshop project or two to bring their imagination to life.
No one has done what Ohtani has done as both a hitter and a pitcher. The man has already broken some of Babe Ruth’s records and led all of MLB in home runs before ending his season prematurely due to a tear in the UCL of his throwing shoulder and an oblique issue.
It is that very UCL injury that could get in the way of the Dodgers, or other teams, and a nice fat contract for the two-way star. Ohtani had surgery to mend the tear, but will not pitch for at least one year. With the tear being Ohtani’s second elbow injury of his career, his long-term ability to play as both a hitter and pitcher could be called into question.
As a starting pitcher and a dominant hitter, Ohtani was likely going to claim a contract well north of $500 million. Now, $500 million might be his ceiling.
But, as one of the best hitters in baseball — and perhaps the biggest name in the sport — Ohtani still brings a club a great increase in value. And those Dodger Photoshops are too good to give up on, right?
Our very own Doug McKain has the latest update on the Ohtani sweepstakes, including what a potential contract could look like with LA. You can watch the full video by clicking at the top of the article, or by clicking right here.
Do you still want the Dodgers to go after Ohtani this offseason? And what type of contract would you give him? Sound off in the comments below!
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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First year as DH: $30 mil
Second year as DH and SP: $30 mil plus incentives for starts and performance
Third year: Based on the progress in Year 2- $55 mil per year.
Would not do anything over 8 years, maybe only 6 years…..
Sounds like something like this is what it will take.
Nobody knows if the Dodgers are “still in” or ever considered it. It’s all speculation from the media. Nobody knows where Ohtani would play and what offer he would accept.
And nobody seems to think about what the Dodgers really need in the next few yrs. A DH? Hardly.
They need a decent reliable starting pitcher for next year and a decent 3B/ rh hitter.
I wish the writers would stop always pretending they know something as if they havr a quote from the front office, but I know they eill keep doing it.
The team does not need 2 DH’s and Martinez is good for less money.
You can not count on Ohtani ever pitching again and if he does he has had two surgeries.
Got to think what alternatives there are for $500M.
The team needs pitching first
JD Martinez was a 1 year deal. He can’t play an even serviceable LF. As much as I’d like to see he and Ohtani in Dodger Blue. He clogs the bases, Ohtani is one of the fastest runners in the Majors. If he wasnt a SP, he would be a 40/40 guy, playing a corner OF spot. But you are nuts if you wouldn’t take Ohtani. JD will not be the same bargain next year, it wouldn’t surprise me if they swapped Uniforms.
We are not Left Handed heavy as in the past with Pederson, Muncy and Bellinger. We have Muncy and Freeman. So a 3rd LHpower bat is exactly what we need.
Pretending we have Ohtani next season.
Betts RF/2B
Freeman 1B
Smith C
Ohtani DH
Taylor or Hernandez LF/CF/2B
Muncy 3B/2B
Vargas 3B/2B
Lux SS
Outman CF
Keep a few of our deadline acquisitions where prudent for the bench.
I’d run with that all day long.
I’d rather pursue Mike Trout and pass on Ohtani, now that he’s shown to be injury-prone, at least with regard to pitching. I dread seeing him sign for 5+ years on the assumption that he will be a healthy, dominant pitcher, only to see us eat that extra money.
Trout hasn’t played a full season since 2016. He is not worth the trade capitol it costs. Now he is a guy the Phillies will be all over if available, so Trout can go home.
Need pitching? Okay- maybe one. Blake Snell.
Buehler, Kershaw, Snell, Miller, Sheehan, Pepiot, and recovering May and Gonsolin. With Stone ready to advance.
I’d love to see Kershaw do a year-long Farewell Tour, and get that 3,000th strikeout.
Stone is a gas can and May/Gonsolin should be traded.
2024 will be Buehler, Kershaw, Miller, Pepiot, then Sheehan/(Yamamoto. Blake Snell if Dodgers don’t sign Ohtani.
If Dodgers DO sign Ohtani, Kershaw stays in 2024 so that he can pass the pitching baton to Ohtani for the 2025 season.