By Ron Johnson
He was one of the most talked about and sought after free agents in baseball this offseason. He is what many consider the Taysom Hill of the Diamond. He was eyed and courted by practically anyone with the money to get him.
We say was because the hunt is officially over.
As the MLB Winter Meetings wrapped up, Shohei Ohtani finally made a decision on where he would play ball next season. Via his Instagram, Ohtani announced that he would head to the National League, but he would be staying in Southern California. Nez Balelo of CAA Sports stated that Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers have agree to a 10-year, $700 million deal, which would make it the largest contract signed in sports history.
Shohei Ohtani’s Instagram
Ohtani’s decision closes the book on a wild free agency chase as we saw several players, including Juan Soto, find new homes this offseason. The wild part of this is that everyone believed heading into Friday that he would choose the Toronto Blue Jays as his destination, but clearly, the Dodgers have put emphasis on the win-now/win-later mentality that they have built into their organization.
In a way, we all should have seen it coming. The Dodgers have been successful year after year. They have found themselves either at the top or close to it over the last few years and even won a World Series title a few years ago. The addition of Ohtani not only makes the Dodgers the absolute legitimate threat in the National League, but it also changes the odds in Vegas most likely.
