Category: Baseball
-
Shohei the Money
Shohei Ohtani has officially signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for $700 million and cash deferrals, crowning him the richest athlete in any sport. That ranks him richer than Lebron James, Tom Brady, and other LA athletes in particular.
Ohtani is a 3-time MLB All-Star and 2x AL MVP with the former Anaheim Angels. The Angels did not try to elaborate and extend a matching qualifying offer, without repercussions. Expect glory once more in Los Angeles and it is not this time necessarily about rolling the red carpet premiere for Jerry Maguire again.
Hence 2024 is a new chapter of the dawn of Ohtani. He does not have to be extra which is exactly why the Dodgers bought him out. He can be as valuable as a team player swimming in deep water late against Mike Trout for example.
MIke Trout squared off against Ohtani in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and when the final pitch narrowed. It was all over. Japan had won over USA and now there has been a recent surge of pitchers to post-assignment in the states possibly such as Roki Sasaki, Shota Imanaga, Kodai Senga, and Shohei Ohtani.
Last year, Ohtani averaged .304 and hit more than 40 home runs for the second time in a single season. His last pitching performance was in August against Ella De La Cruz and the Cincinnati Reds rumored to sign the Japanese phenom.
A 3.14 ERA solidified the icing on the cake for the Yankees, Mets, and Angels to steadfastly walk away from Ohtani. Ohtani is richer than his original 2018 $42 million contract and for all the right reasons. He is smart, aggressive, and flamboyant.
The Dodgers organization already has itself a contending winner in the clubhouse and Ohtani.
-
Angels Hire Ron Washington
The Anaheim Angels have hired Ron Washington as their next manager. This comes after interviewing former players Torii Hunter and Darin Erstad.
The decision ultimately came down to owner Arte Moreno.
Washington, 71, has served two recent stints with the Oakland Athletics and Atlanta Braves. He took fielding practice everyday with the Braves and eventually went to a World Series in 2021.
The Braves organization is said to be missing Washington now but understand baseball is a business.
Washington deserves most recognition for his run with the Texas Rangers who in fact just won a World Series. The Athletic’s rival in 2011 made a World Series appearance but came up short at the hands of Washington. It was nonetheless a vast part of Washington’s resume to land the current job in Anaheim with no contract details revealed yet.
sportskingdomus.com 