Shohei Ohtani: Four GM Candidates Hold the Key to the Majors’ First “$500 Million Contract

On August 24, Angels owner Art Moreno, 76, announced that he was considering selling the team. According to Forbes, the Angels’ assets are worth $2.2 billion. The Angels are said to be worth $2.2 billion, according to Forbes magazine, and there are already many reports of potential new owners in the U.S. “The most likely candidate is NBA owner Art Moreno,” said Forbes.

The most promising candidate is Joe Lacob (66), owner of the NBA’s Warriors. He has considered buying the Dodgers and Athletics in the past and replied to an e-mail interview with the “Los Angeles Times” with a smiley face emoji, saying, “I am looking at good opportunities. He has made his fortune through stock investments and has $1.5 billion in personal assets. If a takeover were to take place, he would lead a group of investors to raise the money.

The sale of the team will also affect the future of Otani, who as of August 31 had won 11 games and hit 29 home runs. The key will be the new GM who will come along with the owner. Currently, four GMs have been named. Ryoichi Fukushima, a Major League Baseball pundit, has named one of the best championship contenders in baseball as a candidate.

The team is looking for a GM who can help Otani realize the “winning team” that he desires. The team may try to persuade Theo Epstein (48), who is an advisor to the MLB organization, to create the “winning team” that Otani desires. He is the man who led the Red Sox and Cubs to the World Championship with his statistics-based baseball. It will take time to build a team from the ground up, rather than spending a lot of money to attract players, but the team could become an all-time winning team in as little as three years.

Sportswriter Nachi Tomonari names two names from teams that are currently doing well.

Logan White, 59, the Padres’ senior advisor to the GM, is a good choice. He is strong in overseas markets. In the past, he was instrumental in acquiring Hiroki Kuroda (47) and Takashi Saito (52) when he was with the Dodgers. The current Angels need a pitching and hitting axis other than Otani, so they may try to acquire, for example, Yoshinobu Yamamoto (24) and Masanao Yoshida (29) of the Orix. Basically, the team will be built around Otani.

Another candidate is Josh Byrnes, 52, who is a senior vice president of the Dodgers.’ Since joining the team in 2002, he has built the team into an all-time winning team. He is known for his high level of scouting and developmental skills.”

The last candidate is the famous GM who was the model for the movie “Moneyball. However, the appointment may not necessarily be a good thing for Otani.

The possibility that Billy Beane (60), who is a big name in the industry, will be appointed to the position is not zero. In that case, Otani would be the first candidate to be released. He is the type of person who has transformed a weak team into a powerhouse based on data, and he likes talented youngsters. It would not be surprising if they trade Otani and Mike Trout (31), who have high market value, for about 10 promising players in the minors,” said Tomonari.

When asked after the game on August 28 about selling the team, Ohtani replied, “I just have to make it through one more month. Whichever GM he becomes, I hope he can create an environment where he can concentrate on baseball as soon as possible. ……

Theo Epstein, 48
Senior Advisor for Athletics, MLB Organization

As a GM, I prefer a serious pitcher who can strike out. If he takes over, he is expected to organize a team centered on Otani.

Josh Byrnes (52)
Senior Vice President, Dodgers

He is a strong developer, having produced two rookie of the year winners in his seven seasons with the Dodgers. He led the Dodgers to the world championship in 2008.

Logan White (59)
Senior Advisor to the Padres GM

In 2012, he personally visited Hanamaki-Higashi High School to observe Otani. The addition of a big name who has known him since that time is a plus for Otani.

Billy Beane (60)
Senior Vice President, Athletics

Athletics Senior Vice President Billy Beane, 60, is a former member of the Athletics, who made an era with his “sabermetrics,” which proactively utilizes data.

From the September 16, 2022 issue of FRIDAY