Shohei Ohtani is worth “$650 million for 10 years,” former MLB home run king says, “The investment will pay off.

Last Updated on 06/15/2023 by てんしょく飯

Carlos Pena, who won the homer crown with the Rays in 2009, said, “The competition will be fierce. The Mets will be a major team in the race to acquire him. I expect a 10-year, $650 million deal.

Video released on MLB Network’s official YouTube page

Shohei Ohtani of the Angels started at second DH on June 13 against the Rangers and went 2-for-2 with a double, two hits, three walks, and reached base in all five at-bats. The day before, he hit two home runs, tying and driving in the game-winning run, moving him past Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge for the league lead in home runs. The former MLB homer-hitting king, who is expected to become a free agent this offseason, estimates Ohtani’s value at $650 million (about ¥91 billion). He said, “The investment will pay for itself,” after presenting his rationale.

Ohtani has been hitting well since the beginning of June. He hit two homers in the first game of a four-game series against the Rangers, who are in first place in the West Division of the American League, and he is also improving his game-winning ability against strong opponents. While he is working toward his goal of making the playoffs, his departure this offseason as an FA is also attracting attention.

The official YouTube channel of the MLB Network, a U.S. MLB network, released a video titled “How much is Ohtani worth?” and the official YouTube channel of the MLB Network released a video titled “How much is Ohtani worth? Carlos Pena, who hit 286 home runs in MLB and won the home run crown with the Rays in 2009, said, “The competition will be fierce. The Mets will be a major team in the race to acquire him. I expect a 10-year, $650 million (about ¥91 billion) deal.

Program host Brian Kenny said, “Wait a minute, $650 million for 10 years?　That’s $65 million a year (about ¥9.1 billion),” he exclaimed, and even involuntarily confirmed it. But Mr. Peña explained his rationale.

‘I’ll explain why. This is a transfer that has value beyond the baseball field. He is an international star. We can get a return on our investment.”

While there is a perception that Ohtani’s performance is worth “as much as two top-level MLB pitchers and fielders combined,” Pena noted the added value off the field. Pena sees this as not an unrealistic offer.