The Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes appear to be heating up.
The decision is definitely not imminent, but we are starting to see a group of teams gain separation, and others start to focus on other targets.
Had he not injured elbow ligaments that will, in all likelihood, result in him missing the 2024 campaign as a pitcher, he could have made himself a lot more money.
Don’t worry about him, though, as his final contract is still expected to be the largest in MLB history.
“Shohei Ohtani’s new contract is expected to ‘surge well beyond’ the $500M mark when he signs in free agency this winter, per @JeffPassan,” Bleacher Report tweeted.
Shohei Ohtani’s new contract is expected to “surge well beyond” the $500M mark when he signs in free agency this winter, per @JeffPassan pic.twitter.com/fNGjLy46wd
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 1, 2023
Mike Trout, before the 2019 season, signed the priciest contract in baseball history, a 12-year, $426.5 million deal that will likely make him an Angel for life.
Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander earn the most money per year, at $43.3 million in both cases.
Well, Ohtani will trump Trout, Scherzer, and Verlander and will, barring a huge surprise, ink the biggest pact in American professional sports history, with the largest salary per year.
There are just too many teams behind his services to think otherwise.
The Toronto Blue Jays are surging, the Los Angeles Dodgers are viewed as the favorites, and the Los Angeles Angels remain hopeful.
While the Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, and New York Yankees appear to be focused on other players, other teams are behind Ohtani beyond the ones mentioned already.
The Chicago Cubs and the San Francisco Giants, for example, are probably not going to be outbid for Ohtani, and the Seattle Mariners remain a possibility.
Keep an eye on Ohtani’s market, and don’t you blink for a second!
