The Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani; why? A Los Angeles celebrity describes how prioritising “winning” led to a contract
The first thing people ask when a well-known athlete exercises their right to free agency is “why?”
For Shohei Ohtani, everything is the same. The top teams in the league were queued up to make offers to the Japanese phenomenon, who was a two-way superstar with lots of prospective suitors. After taking first place in the Ohtani sweepstakes, the Dodgers signed the pitcher/designated hitter to a $700 million, ten-year contract.
Did Ohtani sign the payment then? Of course. Say no to $700 million, would you?
However, money wasn’t the deciding factor. Ohtani was allegedly given a “similar” offer by the Giants, so he had to make a difficult choice. In the end, he decided to sign with the Dodgers, where he would join a roster that featured superstars like Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts.
At the press conference on Thursday, Ohtani’s Dodger blue and white uniform was first seen by Los Angeles.
Ohtani had the opportunity to talk about his free agency and his choice to sign a contract with the NL West’s dominant team for the first time.
Ohtani had the chance to discuss his choice to join with the Dodgers for the first time since the contract was made public.
The two-way sensation said there were “a lot of reasons” why he finally decided on Los Angeles, without going into too much detail. Ohtani did, however, emphasise that winning was the driving force behind his desire.
Ohtani declared, “I do prioritise winning.” “That’s at the top of my list.”
That kind of thinking makes it understandable why Ohtani thought the Dodgers would be a great place to land. Los Angeles has qualified for the postseason for eleven consecutive years, winning three National League pennants during that period and winning a World Series in 2020.
Even with this achievement, Ohtani said that the Dodgers’ ownership group voiced dissatisfaction with the outcome of the previous ten years in his discussions with them. The Dodgers’ only accomplishment during the shorter COVID-19 season is a World Series, despite the team’s postseason history.
