Dodgers officially announce Ohtani recruitment “WS victory parade in LA”
Dodgers Chairman: Ohtani is the most interesting player in the world
The American Major League Baseball (MLB) LA Dodgers officially announced a contract with ‘superstar’ Shohei Ohtani (29).
The Dodgers announced on the 12th (Korean time), “We signed a 10-year contract with Ohtani, who won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) twice.”
The club did not disclose specific contract details.
However, on the 10th, it was first reported through local media that the Dodgers and Ohtani had agreed to a 10-year contract worth $700 million (about 921 billion won).
Also on this day, it was announced that a payment deferral had been set for $680 million, or 97% of Ohtani’s contract total. Ohtani, who plays with an annual salary of $2 million during the contract period, will receive the remaining amount over 10 years starting in 2034 when the contract ends.
Through the deferral of payments, the club will be able to relieve the burden of luxury tax due to exceeding the total annual salary cap and aim to strengthen its strength by recruiting additional players.
In a statement released by the team, Ohtani said, “Thank you, Dodgers fans, for welcoming me.”
“I can be 100% confident that you, the Dodgers, and I share the same goal of holding a World Series victory parade on the streets of Los Angeles (the Dodgers’ hometown),” he said, expressing his will to win.
Ohtani, who entered the big league wearing the LA Angels uniform in 2018 after playing in Japanese professional baseball, created a sensation by serving as both a pitcher and a batter. In his first year of MLB debut, he recorded 4 wins and 2 losses in 10 games as a pitcher with an earned run average of 3.31, and in 114 games as a hitter, he had a batting average of 0.285, 22 home runs, 61 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases, and won the American League (AL) Rookie of the Year Award that year.
Afterwards, he continued to perform well both on the mound and at bat. He proved to be the best star by winning AL MVP unanimously this year as well in 2021.
‘Pitcher’ Ohtani’s career records in the big league are 38 wins, 19 losses, and an ERA of 3.01 in 86 games, and as a ‘batter’, he has a batting average of 0.274, 171 home runs, 437 RBI, and 86 stolen bases in 716 games.
However, despite his outstanding performance, Ohtani could not quench his thirst for victory. He played for the Angels, who were in the lower tier, and did not even experience fall baseball after advancing to the big leagues.
Ohtani has the opportunity to fulfill his dream of winning a championship by joining the Dodgers, who have won the National League (NL) West Division 10 times out of the last 11 years.
“On behalf of the Dodgers and their fans around the world, I would like to welcome Ohtani to the Dodgers, the home of legendary players such as Jaggi Robinson, Sandy Koufax and Hideo Nomo,” said Dodgers Chairman Mark Walter. “Congratulations on that,” he said.
He continued, “Ohtani is a once-in-a-generation talent and one of the most exciting players in the world. “We will work with Ohtani to ensure that more people around the world can enjoy MLB,” he added. 스포츠토토맨
