Stan Kasten Confirms Dodgers Have Wanted Shohei Ohtani for 10 Years, Reveals What He Said in Meeting

Shohei Ohtani has officially joined the Los Angeles Dodgers after years of trying on the Dodgers’ part. The interest has been there since Ohtani was in high school. The third time — attempts failed in 2013 and 2017 — really was the charm.

Ohtani finally reciprocated the interest to come to L.A., the highest-profile free agent signing of the offseason. He now joins one of the premier franchises in baseball, where he should be able to compete for World Series titles year after year.

When the Dodgers met with Ohtani this time around, they knew they couldn’t afford to let him slip away. Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten revealed what he said to Ohtani during their meeting.

“I told him during our meetings as we were talking that, you know, we tried to sign him 10 years ago when he was coming out of high school. He decided to play (in Japan). We tried to sign him six years ago. And I said, ‘You know, both our lives would have been very different if you had come here 10 years ago.’ And I said, ‘Don’t make the same mistake.’”

Ohtani’s popularity around the globe will have a direct impact on how the Dodgers go about their business over the next decade. They want to become the team of Japan. They’re off to a great start.

Ohtani decided to defer all but $2 million of his annual salary to help the team over the course of his 10-year contract. This will allow the Dodgers to spend more on the team around Ohtani, giving him the best chance to win year in and year out.

This pairing signals one that has been in the works for a long time, and baseball as a whole will be better for it. The Dodgers understand the importance of having Ohtani be the face of the league, and they are going to do everything they can to help him reach his goals.

Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

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