Some teams are willing to pay 88.8 billion yen…Shohei Otani: “A 10-year, 74 billion yen battle is brewing! Surprising teams likely to acquire Shohei Otani
An internal brace, a procedure to repair ligaments, will enable an early return to the pitching lineup.
Shohei looked at my video and told me what he thought and what I should do. He told me I should have consistent form.”
Zack Neto (22), the Angels’ promising rookie infielder, smiled happily as he talked about the guidance he received from Shohei Ohtani (29), who is out for the season with an injury.
Otani had accompanied the team even after being placed on the disabled list and had shown dedication in giving advice to the younger players, but he finally decided to have surgery on his affected right elbow on September 20.
On September 20, he finally decided to have surgery on his right elbow. “This time, instead of Tommy John surgery, which is a reconstruction of the lateral collateral ligament that I had in 2006, I had an internal brace surgery to repair the elbow using an artificial ligament. Compared to Tommy John surgery, which takes 14 to 18 months on average, the time required to return to work is shorter, and Rich Hill (43), now of the Padres, pitched nine months after the surgery.
There is no guarantee that he will be able to pitch next season, but he will be ready for the start of the ’25 season. As a hitter, he can start the second half of next year’s open season and be a starter from the start of the season. For Otani, who will become a free agent this offseason, his early return will be a tailwind.
(Sports newspaper desk) “The battle for Otani is expected to be fierce in the Stove League, but what color uniform will the two-sport athlete wear next season?
Some say the Dodgers, who are also based in Los Angeles, are the favorites, but they have a strong starting lineup with Clayton Kershaw (35), Julio Urias (27), and Walker Buehler (29), and if Ohtani joins them, their pitching numbers will be reduced.
If that is the case, it is more likely that he and Yu Darvish (37) will wear Padres uniforms in San Diego, also in California, about an hour’s drive from Ohtani’s home. The Mets, the richest team in the majors with a total annual salary of $336 million, have also expressed interest. He could remain with the Angels on a short-term contract, but given the string of injuries this season, there are concerns about the environment in which he would spend his rehabilitation period,” said sportswriter Nachi Tomonari.
How much money will Otani get?
Considering that he will concentrate on being a hitter in his first year, 10 years and $500 million (about ¥74 billion) is a reasonable price. However, Otani is unique in the majors, and it would not be surprising if a team were to offer $600 million (about ¥88.8 billion),” said Tomonari.
The total annual salary of all NPB teams is approximately 31.9 billion yen. I never thought that a Japanese player with more than twice that amount would appear in reality. ……
From the October 13 and 20, 2023 issues of FRIDAY
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