LOS ANGELES _ The Angels pulled off a massive surprise Friday in earning the commitment of Japanese pitching/hitting sensation Shohei Ohtani, perhaps the most widely wooed prospect in baseball history. His decision to sign with the Angels for relative peanuts could alter the middling franchise's course forever: They could slot him atop their starting rotation and in the middle of their lineup for years to come.
The mysterious process of pursuing the 23-year-old pitcher and hitter became an all-out sweepstakes this offseason, with nearly all Major League Baseball teams involved. None of them knew exactly what Ohtani sought in his destination. For months, many league executives privately expressed beliefs that high-profile teams such as the Dodgers or the New York Yankees would be the favorites.
Not so. Once Ohtani was officially posted one week ago, some of his finalists were small-market clubs, and most were located on the West Coast. The Angels survived Sunday's first cut down to seven teams. On Monday, team representatives met with him in Los Angeles, making a two-hour pitch.
On Friday, they won the whole thing.
They are expected to pay Ohtani a $2.315 million signing bonus, most of which they acquired within the last week, hoping he'd accept their offer. They will also send a $20 million posting fee to Ohtani's Japanese team, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.
On the open market, Ohtani's services would have netted a guarantee of about $200 million for six or seven seasons, league executives estimate. By coming to Major League Baseball now rather than after he turned 25, Ohtani limited himself to a maximum $3.5 million bonus and a salary near the league minimum of $545,000 for the next three years.
So the surplus value the Angels have acquired is substantial. The risk potential, too, is clear. No one has started 15 or more games on the mound and in the field since 1924, and one reason is that pitching requires recovery time. Balancing that with training as a hitter and in-game appearances will be a task.
Ohtani's fastball hums up to 100 mph, and his power from the left side is prodigious. He wants to do both here, and the Angels are willing to let him try. Exactly how that will work remains uncertain.
Ohtani's career-high for innings pitched is 1602/3, for plate appearances 382, and last season he threw only 251/3 innings and batted 231 times. If he remains healthy, he could be the Angels' designated hitter on some days he does not start. Albert Pujols held down that position daily in 2017, so that plan would require him sitting on the bench or playing first base.
Not in need of offseason foot surgery for the first time in three years, Pujols started his workout regimen more than a month ago. He hopes to be in better shape at spring training's start, which would allow him to play the field more.
In Japan, Ohtani pitched only once per week, as is traditional in Nippon Professional Baseball. Upon Japanese pitchers' arrival in recent years, major league teams have tried to more closely replicate that structure.
One way the Angels could do that is with a six-man starting rotation, which general manager Billy Eppler has long expressed interest in trying. With off days, that would supply Ohtani a schedule he is accustomed to, and it could benefit the rest of the Angels' rotation too. Most of their starters were injured during an 80-win 2017 season.
In a statement announcing the decision, Ohtani's agent said the player determined that the Angels could best help him reach his goals.
"What mattered to him most wasn't market size, time zone or league but that he felt a true bond with the Angels," Nez Balelo said. "He sees this as the best environment to develop and reach the next level and attain his career goal."
