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The Los Angeles Dodgers have been awfully quiet during free agency this year. MLB podcaster Ben Verlander believes that could be a sign of their intent to sign Shohei Ohtani a year from now. The 111-win team that fell short of even the NLCS hasn't done much this year.
They let Trea Turner walk and didn't replace him with any of the top shortstops. They let Cody Bellinger and Justin Turner go and signed J.D. Martinez, which signals to Verlander that they aren't interested in anything this offseason.
He said this on the Flippin' Bats podcast:
"[In one year,] J.D. Martinez is off the books. So is the DH slot. Let's not lose sight of what's happening here. Everything I have been talking about- they're resetting the CBT, them not signing many players, them signing J.D. Martinez and not Justin Turner. All roads lead to Shohei Ohtani."
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He continued:
"They are setting up to throw the bankroll at Shohei Ohtani after this season. That is what's happening."
Ohtani is expected to enter free agency after next season, the final one on his Los Angeles Angels contract. Unless the Angels can convince him to stay (which looks unlikely at this moment), he'll have his choice of teams next year.
It will cost whoever a lot of money, which may very well be why the Dodgers are being so inexplicably frugal this year.
What would the Dodgers have to pay to get Shohei Ohtani?
Shohei Ohtani is the most unique talent in the world of baseball. If he were just a pitcher, he'd be a Cy Young contender most seasons. If he were just a hitter, he'd be a Silver Slugger all the time.
Putting those two things into one player is almost unfair. As a result, the price tag on his eventual next contract will be astronomical.
He may not be as good of a pitcher as Justin Verlander or as good of a hitter as Aaron Judge, but he'll likely eclipse their massive AAV totals.
Verlander earns $43.33 million a season and Judge earns $40 million. Ohtani might get $50 million.
The only thing holding him back from the biggest contract ever is the fact that he's already 28 and will be 29 by next year's free agency.
