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Los Angeles Angels phenom Shohei Ohtani is the face of Major League Baseball, and he’s expected to receive the largest contract in the sport’s history when he hits free agency this winter.
Ohtani’s pending free agency was a major topic at this week’s MLB All-Star Game festivities, and several players, including Kansas City Royals slugger Salvador Perez, believe he’ll fetch a contract worth $600 million.
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How much do MLB All-Stars think Shohei Ohtani will make this offseason? $500 million? $600 million?
“I don’t even know how to put a number on that,” Freddie Freeman said. “We’ll all find out together.”https://t.co/198UbkrknD pic.twitter.com/TTSNiwT1xW
“He’s going to get a lot of money and he deserves it. There’s no other player out there like him,” Atlanta Braves star Sean Murphy said Monday, per Tim Booth of the Associated Press. “I don’t know what I would do if I was in the position of having to sign him, but he’s incredible.”
Baltimore Orioles outfield Austin Hays added: “As much money as I have. I’m giving him everything that I’ve got.”
Ohtani made his MLB debut with the Angels in 2018 and he has gone on to win Rookie of the Year and American League MVP, in addition to earning a Silver Slugger award and three straight All-Star Game selections.
The 29-year-old has emerged as arguably the best player in baseball over the last several seasons, and the two-way phenom is thriving as both a starting pitcher and designated hitter for the Angels.
After finishing second in AL MVP voting last season to New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, Ohtani entered the 2023 All-Star break slashing .302/.387/.663 with 32 home runs, 71 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 89 games.
On the mound, he is 7-4 with a 3.32 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 132 strikeouts in 100.1 innings across 17 starts.
Despite Ohtani’s best efforts, the Halos are on pace to miss the postseason for the ninth straight season. The team is currently fourth in the AL West with a 45-46 record, seven games back of the first-place Texas Rangers and five games back of an AL wild card spot.
Ohtani has been vocal about wanting to play for a winning team with championship aspirations, and that’s something he could prioritize once he hits the open market.
“Those feelings get stronger year by year,” Ohtani said through his interpreter Ippei Mizuhara on Monday, per The Athletic’s Andy McCullough. “It sucks to lose. [I want] to win.”
Once the 2023 season comes to an end, all eyes will be on Ohtani as he could potentially become the face of a new franchise.
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