Shohei Ohtani has taken Major League Baseball by storm since signing with the Los Angeles Angels in 2017, winning numerous awards and setting a plethora of records as a two-way star.
The 29-year-old is in the final year of his contract and appears likely to reach free agency at the end of the 2023 season. Ohtani has made it clear his top priority is winning a World Series and will take that into consideration when choosing his next team.
Based on their recent history and geographical location, the Dodgers are considered a strong favorite to sign Ohtani if he becomes a free agent in four months.
During 2023 MLB All-Star Week in Seattle, Mookie Betts made an early Dodgers recruiting pitch for Ohtani, via Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times:
“He knows the Dodgers win,” Dodgers star Mookie Betts said. “We win a lot.”
Betts hopes Ohtani will sign with the Dodgers but wants the generational talent to make the best decision for his family:
“I would love for him to come to the Dodgers,” Betts said. “I would love nothing more for him than to come to the Dodgers.
“But I also want him to make sure he and his family are good, make sure he does what is going to make him happy. He is going to sign for a long time, and for a lot of money. But that is not the only thing that is going to make him happy. I just want him to be happy.”
Ohtani is expected to command a contract that exceeds $500 million in total value. The Dodgers are one of the few teams that can meet that price, and their inactivity this past offseason signaled they were preparing to make a run at him.
If the Angels make Ohtani available at the August 1 MLB trade deadline, the Dodgers theoretically would be in a position to acquire him as well.
Shohei Ohtani impressed by Mookie Betts
While Betts is among the several players who are fond of Ohtani, the admiration was reversed after the All-Star Game. When asked who has impressed him, either during the 93rd Midsummer Classic or as a whole, Betts was Ohtani’s clear choice.
“Not just today but just watching guys overall, I feel like Mookie Betts really impresses me,” Ohtani said from T-Mobile Park. “He’s so versatile. He can play the outfield, play the middle infield. I think he’s very, very talented.”
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