Shohei Ohtani Rumors: Dodgers Favored to Land Angels Superstar, According to Latest Odds
It's been no secret that the Dodgers and Angels star two-way player Shohei Ohtani have been linked together for awhile now. And as Ohtani plays just down the freeway, the two parties couldn't get away from each other even if they wanted to.
Ohtani is scheduled to be a free agent this winter and is expected to command at least a $500 million contract, if not more. LA is expected to make a major run at the Angels star and made moves this past offseason to make that more realistic.
Bookies.com oddsmaker Adam Thompson has listed the Dodgers as the team with the best odds to sign Ohtani this offseason. It seems that it's been this way for a long time but as we get closer and closer to the impending free agency, it's a common occurrence. Weirdly, his own team in the Angels sits in fourth place. That could be very telling in this scenario.
Ohtani has always talked about how winning was his priority and the Dodgers can provide that. Since joining the Angels, Ohtani has missed the postseason each season while LA has reached it every time and won a World Series title.
The Angels have severely underperformed for years now and it could cost them a player with the likes that we haven't ever seen. To their credit, they are in the hunt for the postseason right now but even if they do make it in, will one playoff appearance since 2018 make up for things? It's doubtful.
Adding onto him possibly leaving the Angels, they may not be able to pay the ridiculous salary that he will command. The team has multiple other players on high, long-term deals on the books such as Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon.
If Ohtani were to join the Dodgers, it would likely be a smooth transition. He wouldn't have to move really and could enjoy all the perks of Southern California. He would just be turning in his red jersey for a blue one.
LA would instantly become that much better and it would give Ohtani a chance to finally pitch and hit at the highest level the MLB has to offer. Additionally, the city of Los Angeles has a large Japanese culture within it and the Dodgers have a global audience that not a ton of other teams have.
The pairing of Ohtani with the Dodgers makes all the sense in the world. While it remains to be seen if it actually does happen, it's a story that everyone will be watching for the rest of the year.
