Shohei Ohtani Is A Sellout

There’s no denying Shohei Ohtani’s talent. The league has never seen a player like Ohtani who can be a dominant hitter and pitcher. He recently became the first player to hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases. However, unlike Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani can’t carry a team. During his tenure with the Anaheim Angels, they never won more than 80 games and never went to the postseason. When Ohtani became a free agent, he signed a controversial contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Before signing Ohtani, the Dodgers were already a World Series contender. Given how Shohei Ohtani couldn’t carry the Angels to the playoffs and signing with the already contending Dodgers, he’s a complete sellout.

Shohei Ohtani Has Had A Very Decorated Career

Shohei Ohtani has had a very decorated career since coming over from Japan. The Japanese star has won Rookie of the Year, three MVP awards, and has been to multiple all-star games. Baseball has never seen a player who is dominant at both hitting and pitching. However, despite all his accolades, his Angels teams never had a winning season. The most wins Anaheim compiled was 80, and they missed the postseason every year of Ohtani’s tenure.

He Became A Sellout By Signing With The Dodgers

While Ohtani probably wanted to win in Anaheim, he knew he couldn’t carry the Angels to the postseason. Upon entering free agency and took until January to sign with a team. He ended up signing a heavily scrutinized ten-year, $700 million contract deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers and deferred $68 million of it. The deferred money would be paid out after the contract’s conclusion and be paid out from 2034-2043.

Before signing Ohtani, the Dodgers were already a World Series contender. Los Angeles even won their ninth division title in ten years the season before. The Dodgers lineup featured all-star caliber players in Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Will Smith, and Mookie Betts. They also won over 100 games for the third season in a row as well. Joining this team pretty much guaranteed that Shohei Ohtani would see the postseason in 2024. Given the already great lineup, Ohtani wouldn’t have to carry the team during the season. Ohtani signing with the Dodgers is MLB’s answer to Kevin Durant joining the Golden State Warriors. What do Durant and Ohtani both have in common? They are both sellouts.

Dodger Fans And Ohtani Lovers Won’t Admit It

Dodger fans and the many Shohei Ohtani lovers of the world blatantly and angrily refuse to admit this fact. He joined a team that already had many great players and was a World Series contender. I strongly believe had the Dodgers lost out on Shohei Ohtani, they would still be a postseason team. Knowing he couldn’t carry a team, Ohtani got scared that he’d never see the postseason if he signed with anybody else. This made his decision to sign with the Dodgers much easier. Great players find a way to elevate the players that are around them, Ohtani was unable to do that in Anaheim. Given the Dodgers’ success without him, they don’t need Ohtani to elevate them.

Shohei Ohtani’s Weakness

When Shohei Ohtani signed with the Dodgers, it showed that he had a weakness. The weakness that Ohtani has is he can’t elevate a team to new heights. While he racked up many individual accomplishments, this showed given how little success the Angels had with him on the roster. The 30-year-old former MVP opted to join an already star-studded team where he could mask that weakness. Shohei Ohtani is a great player, he’s been doing things that have never been done in the game. However, he’s nothing more than a complete sellout.

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