Shohei Ohtani's season abruptly ended in August after he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. He underwent surgery in September and is on track to return to the field as a hitter by opening day in March 2024. However, because of the extent of the injury, Ohtani likely won't pitch until 2025 at the earliest. Even with that setback, Ohtani has plenty of teams interested in his service.
That's a good thing — because Ohtani is a free agent who's reportedly mere days away from choosing his next team. And when he signs, it's going to be the biggest contract in MLB history.
Jon Heyman of The New York Post and MLB Network reported that bidding is "believed well past $500M" for Ohtani's services, suggesting that the two-time MVP could even receive a $600 million offer from one or more clubs.
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That would obliterate the current record, which is held by Ohtani's teammate (for now, at least), Mike Trout. The outfielder signed a 12-year, $426.5 million extension with the Angels in 2019. The largest contract for a free agent came during the 2022 offseason when Aaron Judge agreed to stay with the New York Yankees for nine years and $360 million. There have also been several $300 million+ contracts in the past couple of years as players move teams.
Ohtani's main suitors are the Los Angeles Angels, his team since entering the league in 2018, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Chicago Cubs, and the Toronto Blue Jays. The Dodgers and Blue Jays made the playoffs in 2023, while the Cubs went through a late-season collapse but were still mathematically alive until the second-to-last day of the season. Ohtani, 29, has never made the playoffs in his MLB career.
The desire to win will likely play a significant factor in where Ohtani decides to go. We know he's going to get a record contract. Now, the fun part is seeing just how high that number can climb.
