The Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes are over after the star pitcher and hitter signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for a record-breaking 10-year, $700 million contract. The contract is easily the largest in MLB history, and almost $300 million more than former Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout, who had the second-largest contract with $426.5 million.

Ohtani — who is widely considered the best player in the MLB — had pretty much his choice of which team to sign with. So what made him choose the Dodgers? With the San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves also among the top teams with interest, Ohtani had plenty of options.

However, the connection between the Dodgers and his native Japan apparently played a factor in his decision. According to S. Preston, Ohtani signing with the Dodgers will create huge buzz in Japan, where they're already a favorite team.

“Really important to understand the marketing aspect of this deal,” Preston said. “Japan has a deep history with the Dodgers. In Japan, everyone wore Dodger hats. It’s not only merch, but ad & sponsorship rev that goes through the roof. The Ohtani affect at LAA will be peanuts compared to LAD.”

Aside from this, Shohei Ohtani reportedly wanted to play for a contender after playing for the struggling Angels. The Dodgers have made the playoffs in every season over the last decade, winning the division in all but one of those years.

In addition, Ohtani is already very familiar with Los Angeles after his tenure with the Angels. Moving over to the Dodgers is likely the easiest transition and one that would offer a lot of what he was seeking.