$700 million figure followed by the unprecedented deferrals — the 2024 Dodgers didn’t substantially improve with his addition. The Dodgers need starting pitching help above all else and Ohtan won’t pitch in 2025…
Shohe Ohtan is a victory for Dodgers’ bottom line. Can they do the same between the lines?
The Dodgers have introduced plenty of star players over the years, but Thursday’s news conference with Shohe Ohtan resided in another stratosphere.
The others weren’t intentionally scheduled at a time to maximize viewership in a country halfway across the globe. The others didn’t attract hundreds of media members. The others didn’t begin with a countdown for the emcee to start on time for the MLB Network broadcast.
It was as much a TV show as it was a news conference, a Guggenheim Baseball production for the world to consume. If if wasn’t clear already, the message was communicated with the signage surrounding Ohtani on the dais.
Alongside the usual Dodgers logos for such events was an unusual addition plastered on the backdrop and podium: Guggenheim Baseball branding. It wasn’t an accident.
Ohtan, 29, is the consensus best baseball player in the world. He’s perhaps the most talented player ever. He will undoubtedly help the Dodgers win a lot of games. But Dodgers ownership’s investment in Ohtan was a business decision for the brand before it was a baseball transaction for the club.
For all the hysteria surrounding Ohtani’s contract — first the jaw-dropping $700 million figure followed by the unprecedented deferrals — the 2024 Dodgers didn’t substantially improve with his addition. The Dodgers need starting pitching help above all else and Ohtan won’t pitch in 2024.
$700 million figure followed by the unprecedented deferrals — the 2024 Dodgers didn’t substantially improve with his addition. The Dodgers need starting pitching help above all else and Ohtan won’t pitch in 2024.
