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While Shohei Ohtani’s humongous deal of $700 million with the Los Angeles Dodgers might have stirred up the baseball world, it doesn’t seem to bother Arizona Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick that much.
The Dodgers, who have signed Ohtani to a record-breaking 10-year, $700 million deal, were knocked out by Kendrick’s Diamondbacks in the NLDS – a result that few saw coming, as the D-Backs went on to reach the World Series before falling to the Texas Rangers.
Kendrick, while he did praise Shohei Ohtani’s brilliance, had some interesting words to describe the two-way phenom. According to Kendrick, Ohtani is a designated hitter who is just one player in a team of nine. Maintaining a nonchalant attitude, he said:
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“Last I looked, he’s one of nine. And the last I also looked, he’s a designated hitter. He’s a great player. Is he the second coming? I would suggest not.” - Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick on Shohei Ohtani” - @TalkinBaseball_
MLB fans however, didn’t cut the Diamondbacks owner any slack. He was thoroughly trolled on X, formerly Twitter:
Ken Kendrick ‘looks forward to’ facing Shohei Ohtani
The Diamondbacks owner highlighted how it was "fun" when the team played against Shohei Ohtani while he was with the Los Angeles Angels:
"We’ll have fun competing against him. We did have fun competing against him, at least the last time we played." - Ken Kendrick
Kendrick highlighted how the Diamondbacks as a team are committed to establishing a competitive team through tactical moves in the roster. Kendrick is confident in the team owing to their exceptional postseason performance in the 2023 season.
The Dodgers have made headlines due to how they have structured the Ohtani deal with heavy deferrals. They are now World Series favorites, thanks to an All-Star lineup that already features the likes of Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.
If the Dodgers meet the Diamondbacks again next postseason, would the outcome be any different? Only time is going to answer that question.
