Before Shohei Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he had his pick between multiple teams pursuing him. These teams included the Toronto Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants, the latter who was willing to match the 10-year, $70 million contract that Ohtani ended up agreeing to with the Dodgers.
Ohtani's decision wasn't all about the money though. Among his considerations was his desire to play for a winning team, particularly after spending his entire MLB career so far with the Angels. When it came to his top contenders, the Dodgers easily have one of the best winning cultures. The Dodgers have been to the playoffs in each of the past 10 years, including taking home the division pennant in nine of those ten years. Most notably, the Dodgers won the World Series during this time in 2021, their seventh in franchise history.
For the Dodgers organization, one title isn't enough — a sentiment that appealed to Ohtani.
“When I had the meeting with the Dodgers and the ownership group, even though they made the playoffs 10 straight years and won a World Series, they called it a failure,” Ohtani said. “That stood out to me,” via NBC's LA Michael J. Duarte.
In his six years with the Angels, Shohei Ohtani never even made the postseason. It's not hard to see why that would then make the Dodgers and their title beliefs so alluring to Ohtani. On the Dodgers side, they know acquiring a player of Ohtani's caliber will certainly fulfill their goals to win more than ‘just' one World Series. All in all, it looks like a great match for both parties.
Follow Us
Subscribe