Without a doubt, Shohei Ohtani is the most talked-about free agent in Major League Baseball this offseason. The former Los Angeles Angels star is expected to sign a record-breаking contract, but he has laid out some severe rules for the numerous clubs vying for his signature.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are among those teams, and oddsmakers have them as free agent favorites to sign him. According to one source, Chavez Ravine’s camp is interested in the 29-year-old and is even willing to offer the Angels their other superstar player, Mike Trout, in a massive trade.

Ohtani may now negotiate the terms of his next deal with the players he wants. Reports from AM 570 L.A. Sports Radio’s David Vassegh indicate that he has expressed his desire for a long-term contract to multiple teams, including the Dodgers.

Ohtani is only interested in signing a short-term deal with the Angels, according to Vassegh. According to him, any other team interested in signing him should offer him a minimum 10-year contract with opt-out provisions.

Many thought Ohtani, who will be 30 years old next season, could sign a $500 million mega-contract. However, he will not be able to pitch until 2025 due to a recent elbow ιnjury and surgery, and it is unclear if he will be able to continue to be a pitcher/hitter in the future.

Data from Ohtani in the year 2023

As in 2021, the pitcher/slugger had an outstanding season on both sides of the ball, leading to his unanimous selection as the league’s most valuable player for a second year in a row.

His pitching stats included 132 innings pitched, 167 strikeouts, a 10-5 record, and a 3.14 earned run average. His hitting stats included 44 home runs, a.304/.412/.654 line, and the top three in MLB in on-base percentage (OPS), on-base plus (OPS+), and wins against average (WаR) with 1.066, 184, and 10.0, respectively.

Ohtani was chosen above Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, the two players from the Texas Rangers who won the World Series.