Astonishing [MLB] Shohei Ohtani’s new contract could be worth as much as $1 billion.

Last Updated on 08/12/2023 by てんしょく飯

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The new contract of Shohei Ohtani of the Angels, who will become a free agent this offseason, is expected to be on an astronomical scale. The amount of money reported by the U.S. media continues to grow every day, with some even calling it $1 billion (about ¥144.9 billion).

Local Giants media predicts Ohtani’s new contract

On August 9, NBC Sports Bay Area, the Giants’ local broadcaster, aired a program titled “Which team will compete for Otani this offseason? The station’s Alex Pavlovic answered this question in the program, “Which team will be in the hunt for Ohtani this offseason?

He introduced the Angels, Cubs, Dodgers, Padres, Giants, Mariners, and Rangers as the seven “finalists” in the offseason of 2017, when Ohtani moved to the majors, and said, “All the teams on the list you introduced have a chance. (Seager and Semien were acquired.) “All the teams on your list have a chance. （Even the Rangers, who have spent a lot of money (acquiring Seager, Semien, etc.), are all-in, so they will be on the list (to be acquired). The Cubs have been reluctant in the FA market the last two years, so they might make a move. The Giants are the same way,” he said.

However, he voiced his confusion about the details of the contract, saying, “I can’t imagine what the figure will be. They were saying $500 million, but now there are reports of $600 million and $700 million. The other day someone offered me $1 billion for 10 years (about 144.9 billion yen). Is that an appropriate offer?　I don’t know, because no one has ever done this before,” he said, predicting that it would be on an unprecedented scale.

Although not included in the earlier list, he is also keeping a close eye on the moves of two New York teams. Mets owner Steve Cohen isn’t afraid to splash the big bucks, either. The Yankees, too. There are rumors that he wants the West Coast, but no one knows what he really wants. And no one knows what the contract will be either. There is a lot of uncertainty,” he said.

As for whether the Giants will be able to acquire him, which is of interest to local fans, he said, “(Financially), I think they will be able to acquire him. He’s a perfect fit, and he’s going to shore up our weaknesses. They tend to finish in second place, so it would be great if they finish first.