How the market for Ohtani will change.
MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, provided an update on the free agent market surrounding Shohei Ohtani (LAA), who suffered an elbow injury on Aug. 25.
Ohtani was injured on Aug. 24 while pitching in a doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds. He was diagnosed with a torn medial collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow and will no longer pitch this season. The decision to undergo surgery is pending further evaluation, but it’s not unlikely that he’ll need to repeat the Tommy John surgery he underwent five years ago.
Ohtani is eligible for free agency after this season. MLB.com asked big-league club executives for their thoughts on how Ohtani’s injury will affect the market. The opinions were mixed.
“My first reaction to the news of Ohtani’s injury was, ‘That’s going to cut his price in half,'” said one National League team executive. “I don’t know how you can use a guy who’s had two Tommy John surgeries in five years as a long-term pitcher. Of course, Ohtani is still a great hitter and can pitch out of the bullpen. But it’s clear that his scarcity and value take a hit.”
As one American League club executive put it, “It’s definitely going to have an impact. Having two Tommy John surgeries is not uncommon these days, but if he does, Ohtani won’t be able to throw a ball until 2025. That means he would have to play the first year of his contract as a designated hitter. That changes the math. I just don’t know how much it would change.”
Others disagreed. “It depends on the severity of the injury,” said a senior official at another National League team, “but if you’re signing a 10-year contract, you’re signing for nine years. Surgery may not have much of an impact.” Even if Tommy John surgery keeps him off the mound for a year, the team can still pay him a lot of money in anticipation of the remaining years of his contract. 토토사이트
There are no “big fish” on the free agent market this winter to rival Ohtani, so it’s not likely to affect his value.
Last year, Ohtani became the first player in Major League Baseball history to complete both a regulation at-bat and a regulation inning. His uniqueness makes it difficult to predict the market. It will be interesting to see how he fares in free agency this winter.