Shohei Ohtani sent shockwaves throughout Major League Baseball when he announced his intention to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers in free agency.
The two-way star will receive $700 million over 10 years, which is the largest contract in North American professional sports history.
Ohtani’s free agency was shrouded in secrecy and extended past the Winter Meetings. The 29-year-old apologized for what he described as a long process.
Prior to Ohtani making a decision on his future, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman expected activity to pick up across the league once he signed, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic:
“I don’t know that a deal is imminent, but I feel like there’s a lot more information that is helpful in us getting some more resolution on a few fronts,” Friedman said. “I expect the next couple weeks will be action-packed across the industry.”
Now that Ohtani has chosen his next destination, there should be more movement on the free agent and trade markets. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Josh Hader and Blake Snell are among the top free agents still available to sign with the Dodgers connected to all of them.
Beyond those players, Cody Bellinger, Jordan Montgomery, Matt Chapman, J.D. Martinez, Jung Hoo Lee, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Shōta Imanaga, Teoscar Hernández and Rhys Hoskins also remain on the open market.
Frontline starting pitchers Shane Bieber, Dylan Cease and Tyler Glasnow are believed to be obtainable via trade as well. Meanwhile, there have been conflicting reports about the potential availability of Corbin Burnes, Randy Arozarena and Willy Adames.
Andrew Friedman: Dodgers gained ‘a lot more clarity’ during Winter Meetings
Despite not making a splash during the Winter Meetings, Friedman said the Dodgers gathered valuable information that will ultimately pay dividends moving forward.
After securing a commitment from Ohtani, the team is now focused on acquiring a top-tier starter such as Yamamoto or Glasnow.
L.A. additionally wants to add a right-handed bat and has been linked to the likes of Kiké Hernández, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Michael A. Taylor, along with a left-handed hitting outfielder with Max Kepler and Joc Pederson among the potential targets.
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