The Dodgers Fired Shohei Ohtani’s Interpeter; Can the Two-Way Star Opt Out of His Contract?

The Dodgers awoke Wednesday in South Korea looking forward to playing the San Diego Padres, answering questions about the growth of the Dodgers brand overseas, then flying home.

Now, the questions around two-way star Shohei Ohtani will be harder, and the team plane likely will feature an empty seat.

According to multiple reports Wednesday, interpreter Ippei Mizuhara is the subject of an investigation around wire transfers from Ohtani’s personal bank account to an alleged sports gambling operation based in Southern California. The Dodgers fired Mizuhara amid the allegations.

Mizuhara had been Ohtani’s personal interpreter since he signed with the Angels in 2017.

One question circulating among Dodgers fans: does firing Mizuhara allow Ohtani to opt out of his 10-year, $700 million contract with the team?

The short answer: no.

The “key man” clause in Ohtani’s contract applies only to team chairman Mark Walter and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. If either executive leaves the team, Ohtani may opt out of his contract as well.

“It’s the same deal I have,” Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten said in December, in an exclusive interview with Dodgers Nation. “If either one of them goes, I’m leaving too. … We didn’t worry about (the clause) for one second because we’re all planning to be here for at least the next 10 years. It wasn’t an issue.”

The contract between Ohtani and the Dodgers does require the team to provide him an interpreter, as is typical for Japanese-speaking players. Expect the team to have a new interpreter in place today.

Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Have you subscribed to our YouTube Channel? Subscribe and hit that notification bell to stay up to date on all the latest Dodgers news, rumors, interviews, livestreams and more!