Reigning American League MVP Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to terms on a 10-year, $700-million deal.
Ohtani, the biggest free agent in MLB history, is coming off a season that saw him hit .304 while blasting 44 home runs in just 135 games. The two-way star also posted a 3.14 ERA over 132 innings while racking up 176 strikeouts.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan was the first to report the terms of this historic signing.
The 29-year-old had his 2023 season cut short after undergoing surgery on his throwing elbow in September. That didn’t stop him from becoming the first player in MLB history to win two MVP awards unanimously, as Ohtani claimed all 30 first-place votes from the BBWAA to take home the award.
In six major-league seasons with the Angels, Ohtani has been named to three All-Star Games, won two Silver Slugger awards and was named the AL Rookie of the Year in 2018.
Over that span, the six-foot-four superstar has tallied a .274/.366/.556 slash line with 171 home runs, 437 RBIs and 88 stolen bases. On the mound, he has a career 38-19 record with a 3.01 ERA and a whopping 11.36 strikeouts per nine over 481.2 innings.
Ohtani is not expected to pitch in 2024 due to his elbow surgery but he is expected to still serve as DH for the Dodgers.
Ohtani came to the Angels from NPB’s Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in 2017 after five years in the Japanese league, where he was a five-time All-Star and the 2016 Pacific League MVP.
