The amount raised…Are big free agents grateful? “Benefits” brought by Shohei Otani’s super-class contract | Full-Count

Shohei Ohtani’s large-scale contract will “raise the standard throughout the league”

With the decision of pitcher Shohei Ohtani, who was a free agent from the Angels, to transfer to the Dodgers, the major league market may start to move significantly. His contract, worth a total of $700 million (approximately 101.5 billion yen), has a huge impact on other free agents. Chris Kwik, a reporter for Yahoo Sports, predicted, “The dam will break, and teams that failed to acquire Ohtani will be able to focus on other potential free agents.”

It was said that the market flow in the Stove League during the off-season was slow. The team is aiming to acquire Otani, whose total price has been said to be as much as 500 million dollars (approximately 72.5 billion yen), and whether or not they are successful in acquiring him will greatly affect the amount of money and players they will need to acquire. As a result, the market was thought to have been frozen because Ohtani was not decided.

Kwik cited Orix pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Padres free agent pitcher Blake Snell, and Cubs free agent outfielder Cody Bellinger as players who would benefit from Ohtani. Each team stated, “Now that the highest-quality free agents are off the market, we should hurry to finalize contracts with these players.”

He also said that Ohtani’s 10-year, $700 million contract, the richest in professional sports history, “may cause teams to raise their offers.” “Once a player sets a new standard, it raises the bar across the league. So while it’s not like there are any other players who will receive Ohtani-level compensation, there will be free agents who are yet to be signed this winter. He could potentially earn millions more on the heels of his record-setting paycheck, suggesting the company could benefit from synergies.

(Full-Count Editorial Department)