Dodgers 'In As Good a Place As Any Team' in Shohei Ohtani Sweepstakes
Undoubtedly the biggest storyline in the offseason is where superstar Shohei Ohtani will sign in free agency.
After an incredible season from behind the plate and on the mound, Ohtani proved that he is possibly the most unique baseball player of all time. While his shoulder surgery after suffering a tear in his UCL will likely cost him some money when it's all said and done, Ohtani is incredibly valuable as a hitter alone, and will likely return to the mound in some capacity after next season.
The Dodgers certainly could have used Ohtani in the postseason, in which the Arizona Diamondbacks swept the Boys in Blue in the NLDS as both the Dodgers starting pitching and bats looked lethargic.
According to J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group, the Dodgers are in a prime position to land Ohtani's coveted signature.
Hoornstra caught up with Dodgers Nation's Doug McKain to talk all things offseason as the Dodgers look to rebound after an embarrassing postseason.
Proximity to his home in LA and the potential partnership of the most marketable player in MLB and one of the most popular teams in the world are just a few of the reasons Ohtani might be interested in playing for the Dodgers.
"I think the Dodgers are in as good a place as any team with respect to the pitch that they can sell him. I think it's just a question of how much money do they have and how much does that matter in the grand scheme of things. He's already by far and away the most marketable player in terms of dollars and cents in Major League Baseball. We would naive to think that Ohtani hasn't spent the last six years building up important relationships here. His agent is here. He has trainers here. You can't really get any closer than you are in Los Angeles," Hoornstra told McKain.
(Via
Dodgers Nation
)
Free agency will begin five days after the conclusion of the World Series. Check out Dodgers Nation's latest video here.