Why The Angels Were Correct in Not Matching Shohei Ohtani's $700 Million Contract With Dodgers

This decision presents the Angels with a unique opportunity to start over fresh.

Since former Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani joined the Los Angeles Dodgers on a record-setting 10-year, $700 million contract, there have been many thoughts about where the Halos go from here. Losing Ohtani hurts this franchise a ton, especially since they will only be getting compensation picks from his departure.

Prior to Ohtani joining the Dodgers, his agent Nez Balelo approached the Angels with a chance to match the offer and make the case for him to return. Angels owner Arte Moreno declined to match the offer put forth by the crosstown Dodgers, leading to scrutiny by the fanbase.

The frustration from the fans is completely justified. Ohtani meant everything to the Angels organization, and seeing him move just up the I-5 freeway does sting to witness. But the Angels were correct in not matching the offer set forth by the Dodgers.

In no way am I blaming Ohtani for the issues that the Halos have seen, but his salary would have taken up far too large of a spot on this payroll. While it’s been reported that the record deferrals that he received with the Dodgers were offered to all teams, Moreno doesn’t believe in them.

The Angels essentially had Ohtani on the same salary that he is making with LA over the last few years, and they still couldn’t find success. In 2021, Ohtani earned $3 million from the Angels. In 2022, he received $5.5 million, and in 2023 he jumped to $30 million.

The Dodgers may only be paying him $2 million a season, but the CBT hit is around $46 million. If the Angels were to put that onto their payroll, it would hamper their chances to build around Ohtani. 

They couldn’t win when he was making such a low amount, so why would it be any different now? Plus, they would be on the hook for all the money once he left the franchise after the deal concluded.

The Halos have a lot of needs that have to be addressed if they want to become a competitive team once again. They have been stuck in mediocrity for so long, and it has happened with Ohtani on the roster.

Over the last three years, he has won the MVP twice and came in second place the other year, yet they still didn’t come close to the postseason.

In a way, Ohtani leaving gives this team a chance to start over fresh. Of course, the Angels would have loved to bring back Ohtani, but it may have been counterproductive.

The pressure is on this team to make smarter moves going forward to make sure that they don’t have any decade of being stuck in the mud. The front office and ownership owe it to the loyal fanbase, especially given what has transpired this offseason.