Shohei Ohtani and the Angels avoided arbitration with a record-setting contract, but what does it mean for trade rumors?
Shohei Ohtani’s record-setting contract
Ohtani is debatably the most valuable player in all of baseball, if not all of professional sports.
He plays both sides of the ball and can fill in as a pitcher, designated hitter, or outfielder as needed.
According to Ken Rosenthal, Ohtani’s arbitration-free contract breaks an MLB record previously held by Mookie Betts.
The Ohtani contact is a record for an arbitration-eligible player (11% above old record of $27M by Betts). His $24.5M raise Is the biggest year-to-year increase ever for a player, and it puts him in the top 10 as of now for 2023 salary and AAV.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) October 1, 2022
With all that in mind, Ohtani deserved to be recompensed likewise. Last season, the two-way player earned a little more than $5 million. He’ll be paid nearly $25 million more in 2023.
The #Angels today agreed to a one-year, $30 million contract with RHP/DH Shohei Ohtani for the 2023 season.
With the agreement, the arbitration process is avoided.
— Angels PR (@LAAngelsPR) October 1, 2022
What does Shohei Ohtani record-setting contract mean for trade rumors?
The Angels got calls about Ohtani near the trade deadline but hung up when they didn’t hear anything appealing.
According to Bob Nightengale, this transaction demonstrates that the Angels have no intention of trading Ohtani this offseason.
Shohei Ohtani's $30 million contract signals that the #Angels will keep him for next season with no plans to trade him.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 1, 2022
Ohtani’s name could be discussed in some trade talks this offseason, especially given the precedent set by the Juan Soto deadline deal.
Ohtani would command the same or more than Soto because he is under 30 years old and a nearly unrivaled talent, barring anyone short of Babe Ruth.
In the 2019 offseason, Ohtani agreed to a two-year, $8.5 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels.
Because the two-way star was recovering from Tommy John surgery, he wanted to ensure some value for himself, even if it felt flimsy at the time. MLB Trade Rumors nicely summarized those negotiations.
“At the time of that deal, Ohtani has pitched only 1 2/3 total innings over the 2019-20 seasons, due to a Tommy John surgery and then a flexor strain. He was also coming off a mediocre year at the plate, hitting only .190/.291/.366 over 175 plate appearances during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Though Ohtani was hardly the only player to struggle under the unusual circumstances of the 2020 campaign, there was speculation that his 2018 rookie season might have been his peak, and that Ohtani would be better served by choosing either hitting or pitching.”
If Ohtani is displeased with his loss, he can always request a withdrawal. Few players have such a voice, but the Angels would be forced to listen to arguably baseball’s best player. Who knows what the offseason plans will be with a new owner on board?
A remarkable offseason could help, but Ohtani’s decision to stay in Anaheim is ultimately up to him and no one else.
About Shohei Ohtani
| Los Angeles Angels – No. 17 | |
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| Pitcher / Designated hitter / Outfielder | |
| Born: July 5, 1994 Ōshū, Iwate, Japan |
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Bats: Left
Throws: Right
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| Professional debut | |
| NPB: March 29, 2013, for the Hokkaidō Nippon-Ham Fighters | |
| MLB: March 29, 2018, for the Los Angeles Angels | |
| NPB statistics (through 2017 season) |
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| Win–loss record | 42–15 |
| Earned run average | 2.52 |
| Strikeouts | 624 |
| Batting average | .286 |
| Home runs | 45 |
| Runs batted in | 166 |
| MLB statistics (through September 29, 2022) |
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| Win–loss record | 28–13 |
| Earned run average | 2.98 |
| Strikeouts | 435 |
| Batting average | .267 |
| Home runs | 127 |
| Runs batted in | 341 |
| Teams | |
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