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Shohei Ohtani may very well be baseball’s first $500 million man.
Alden Gonzalez of ESPN mentioned Ohtani’s free-agency haul subsequent winter, with one agent estimating the two-way star will land a 10-year, $430 million contract and a staff govt throwing out a 12-year, $480 million contract.
Others round Main League Baseball consider Ohtani will change into the primary participant in North American sports activities historical past to land $500 million in assured cash.
The Angels star is making $30 million for the 2023 season, the biggest wage ever given to an arbitration-eligible participant. Ohtani has established himself as a generational expertise worthy of a record-setting contract, ending top-two in AL MVP balloting every of the final two seasons whereas being each probably the greatest energy hitters and probably the greatest pitchers in baseball.
The 28-year-old hit .273/.356/.519 with 34 dwelling runs and 95 runs batted in whereas posting a 15-9 document with a 2.33 ERA and 1.01 WHIP as a pitcher. He struck out 219 batters in 166 innings whereas ending fourth within the AL Cy Younger voting.
After all, a lot of this hypothesis about Ohtani’s contract requires him to proceed his dominance. Whereas he confirmed flashes early in his profession, accidents prevented Ohtani from being dominant till 2021. He pitched in solely 12 video games from 2018 to 2020 as a result of damage troubles, and his onslaught of energy got here after he hit simply 47 homers in his first three MLB seasons.
An damage or regression in efficiency might result in this hypothesis being a gross overestimation. Ohtani will receives a commission nicely into the 9 figures no matter how he performs in 2023, however there may be an inherent danger issue concerned in taking part in each methods.
That mentioned, if Ohtani continues his MVP-caliber play, the sky is the restrict in what will probably be a purchaser’s market.
