Shohei Ohtani to Sign $700 Million Contract With World Series Contender

Shohei Ohtani will play for the Los Angeles Dodgers for the next 10 years.

By Brian Jones

The best player in MLB will sign a historic contract for the 2024 season and beyond. Shohei Ohtani went to Instagram on Saturday to announce he's signing a contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. According to multiple reports, Ohtani agreed to a 10-year, $700 million contract, making it the largest deal in baseball history by more than $250 million. 

"To all the fans and everyone involved in the baseball world, I apologize for taking so long to come to a decision. I have decided to choose the Dodgers as my next team," Ohtani wrote in the Instagram post. "First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone involved with the Angels organization and the fans who have supported me over the past six years, as well as to everyone involved with each team that was part of this negotiation process. Especially to the Angels fans who supported me through all the ups and downs, your guys' support and cheer meant the world to me. The six years I spent with the Angels will remain etched in my heart forever."

Ohtani, 29, joins the Dodgers after spending six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. During those six seasons, Ohtani was named an All-Star three times, won the AL Rookie of the Year Award in 2018, was selected to the All-MLB Team four times and was named AL MVP in 2021 and 2023. He is known for being a two-way player, having a 38-19 record as a pitcher and hitting 171 home runs as a designated hitter in his MLB career. 

"This is a unique, historic contract for a unique, historic player," Ohtani's agent, Nez Balelo of CAA Sports, said in a statement, per MLB.com. "Shohei is thrilled to be a part of the Dodgers organization. He is excited to begin this partnership, and he structured his contract to reflect a true commitment from both sides to long-term success. Shohei and I want to thank all the organizations that reached out to us for their interest and respect, especially the wonderful people we got to know even better as this process unfolded."  

Ohtani will not pitch during the 2024 season due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament. However, the Japan native will be the heart of a Dodgers lineup that includes former MVPs Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. The Dodgers are hoping Ohtani can get them their first World Series Championship since 2020. 

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