Shohei Ohtani Chooses Toronto Blue Jays Over Los Angeles Dodgers

Photo: Instagram/Shohei Ohtani

In a surprising turn of events, Shohei Ohtani has decided to sign with the Toronto Blue Jays, sources confirm. 

The two-way superstar's decision follows a suspenseful free-agent pursuit, marking a historic moment in baseball. While the exact value of Ohtani's contract remains undisclosed, it is anticipated to surpass Mike Trout's record-breaking 12-year, $426.5 million deal with the Angels. 

The formal announcement is expected as early as tonight. Blue Jays executives, buoyed by optimism throughout negotiations, emerged victorious in the face of stiff competition from the Dodgers and the Angels.

Photo: Instagram/Shohei Ohtani

This outcome is a major disappointment for the Dodgers, who had Ohtani as the focal point of their off-season plans. The Jays, owned by the multimedia conglomerate Rogers Communications valued at $24 billion, presented a compelling case to Ohtani. 

Their ability to command the attention of an entire country, being the sole major league team in Canada, played a pivotal role in the decision-making process. Rogers CEO Tony Staffieri, intimately involved in the negotiations, views the signing as a corporate investment extending beyond Ohtani's on-field impact. 

The deal reflects a willingness to pay for the added international exposure Ohtani brings to Rogers' assets, given his status as baseball's most marketable player. For the Dodgers, Ohtani's choice necessitates a shift to Plan B. 

They are now expected to focus on starting pitching, with Japanese star Yoshinobu Yamamoto among their top free-agent targets. The void left by the absence of Ohtani as the designated hitter (DH) will challenge the Dodgers to explore alternatives, possibly reuniting with free agent J.D. Martinez for the 2024 season. 

The off-season dynamics have taken an unexpected turn, leaving the Dodgers recalibrating their strategy.

Read Next: LeBron James Makes NBA Scoring History, Leads Lakers To In-Season Tournament Final

Source: Dodgers Nation

Comments

Post a Comment

Trending Now

Conor McGregor Faces New $8 Million Lawsuit Over Whiskey Deal

Image
Photo: Conor McGregor / Instagram   Former UFC champion Conor McGregor is headed back to court in January for a lawsuit involving his former friend and training partner, Artem Lobov. The case revolves around Proper 12 Irish Whiskey , a brand that helped McGregor become one of the wealthiest athletes in mixed martial arts. Lobov, a former UFC fighter, claims the idea for Proper 12 was his and says he spent years helping to build the business. He is now suing McGregor for $8 million, claiming he deserves a share of the profits. McGregor sold the whiskey brand in 2021 for an estimated $600 million, but Lobov says he didn’t get anything from the deal. Lobov told reporters he was the one who convinced McGregor to pursue Irish whiskey instead of vodka. “I did my research, met with distilleries, and put together a great deal,” Lobov said. He says he introduced McGregor and his management team to the contacts he had developed, believing they had an agreement. Photo: Conor McGregor / Instag...
Read More

Ben Affleck Spends Thanksgiving With Jennifer Garner And Their Kids

Image
Photo: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner / Instagram   Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner proved once again they are a model for friendly co-parenting this Thanksgiving. The actor was seen walking to Garner’s Brentwood, California, home to join her and their three kids — Violet, 18, Seraphina, 15, and Samuel, 12 — for a cozy holiday dinner. Earlier in the day, the former couple volunteered together at the Midnight Mission in Los Angeles, helping serve meals to 2,000 people in need. Wearing matching aprons, they shared smiles and worked as a team, showing how well they still get along. Affleck, who is going through a tough divorce from Jennifer Lopez , reportedly felt “blessed” to spend the holiday with Garner and their children. A source close to the actor said, “Ben feels comfortable and happy being with Jen and the kids. He’s always appreciated the strong connection they have.” Photo: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner / Instagram   The source also mentioned that this isn’t the first ti...
Read More

Lil Wayne’s Manager Denies Joe Budden’s Claims About Kendrick Lamar

Image
Photo: Lil Wayne, Kendrick Lamar / Instagram   Joe Budden is back in the spotlight, stirring up drama with claims that don’t add up.  On his recent podcast, Budden said Lil Wayne tried to call Kendrick Lamar after hearing his name on the song “Wacced Out Murals” by GNX.  According to Budden, Kendrick didn’t answer, and Wayne supposedly went on to record a diss track aimed at him. Photo: Joe Budden / Instagram   Budden also threw in another claim, suggesting Eminem dissed Wayne on his verse in “No Love.” However, Wayne’s manager, Fabian Marasciullo, quickly shut down the story. He responded on Instagram with a single emoji: the “Cap” emoji, slang for “false” or “lies.” Joe Budden says Lil Wayne tried to call Kendrick Lamar about Wacced Out Murals and Kendrick didn’t pick up the phone which inspired Lil Wayne to go in the booth and make a response record to him 🧐🧐🧐🧐 pic.twitter.com/fhy14otgN9 — Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) November 27, 20...
Read More

Shohei Ohtani Demands $325,000 In Baseball Cards From Ex-Interpreter

Image
Photo: Shohei Ohtani / Instagram Baseball star Shohei Ohtani is asking his former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara , to return $325,000 worth of baseball cards he says were bought with stolen money. Ohtani, who now plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers, filed court documents this week claiming Mizuhara used his bank account without permission starting in late 2021. Mizuhara allegedly changed Ohtani’s security settings to make wire transfers and used the money to buy the cards from online sites like eBay and Whatnot. Mizuhara has already pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani. Prosecutors say he spent the money on gambling, debts, medical bills, and the baseball cards. Mizuhara will be sentenced in January and could face over 30 years in prison, as well as deportation to Japan. Photo: Shohei Ohtani / Instagram In addition to the cards, Ohtani is demanding Mizuhara return signed collectible cards featuring him, which were also allegedly stolen. Mizuhara was a close companion...
Read More

Evander Holyfield Reveals The Best Fighter He Ever Faced

Image
Photo: Instagram/Evander Holyfield Boxing legend Evander Holyfield has faced some of the sport's biggest names, and he has now revealed who he thinks was the best of them all. Holyfield, one of the most decorated boxers ever, ended his amateur career with an Olympic bronze medal. He then became a standout talent in the cruiserweight division before moving up to become a four-time heavyweight champion, despite being smaller than many of his opponents. Until Oleksandr Usyk matched his feat, Holyfield was the only man to achieve undisputed titles in both cruiserweight and heavyweight. Holyfield is well known for his infamous fight with Mike Tyson , where Tyson bit his ear, and for facing other legends like Lennox Lewis and George Foreman. But in an interview with Ring Magazine’s ‘Best I Faced’ series, Holyfield named Riddick Bowe as the greatest opponent he ever fought. Photo: Instagram/Evander Holyfield "I would say Bowe. I had three fights with Bowe. He was very competitive, ...
Read More

Jake Paul Reveals Fighter Who Turned Down $8 Million Netflix Deal

Image
Photo: Jake Paul / Instagram   Jake Paul has become one of the biggest names in boxing, especially after his recent fight against boxing legend Mike Tyson . The 27-year-old took on the 58-year-old former heavyweight champion in an eight-round match in Texas. The fight was streamed live on Netflix and drew massive attention. Paul won the fight by unanimous decision, bringing his record to 11-1. While his victory boosted his fame, the match didn’t live up to expectations, as Tyson struggled to perform like he did in his prime. Paul is now focused on his next move. He revealed that Tommy Fury , the only man to beat him, turned down an $8 million offer to fight on Netflix. Fury, who defeated Paul in February 2023 in a split decision, chose not to accept the lucrative rematch deal. Photo: Tommy Fury, Jake Paul / Instagram   Paul didn’t hold back, calling Fury out on social media: “Offered [Tommy] Fury $8M to fight on Netflix. He turned it down and now fighting an MMA fighter… No...
Read More

Oscar De La Hoya Accuses Eddie Hearn of Favoritism And Personal Misconduct

Image
Photo: Oscar De La Hoya, Eddie Hearn / Instagram   Oscar De La Hoya , a well-known boxing promoter, has made some serious accusations against Eddie Hearn, his fellow promoter. De La Hoya shared his thoughts in a now-deleted Instagram post during Thanksgiving, stirring up drama in the boxing world. De La Hoya first criticized Hearn’s handling of WBC Lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson . But things got personal when he mentioned rumors that Hearn is romantically involved with female boxer Skye Nicolson, who holds the WBC Featherweight title. According to De La Hoya, their relationship has been a topic of gossip in the boxing community since 2022. He went further, accusing Hearn of showing "preferential treatment" to Nicolson. De La Hoya pointed to a video of Hearn and Nicolson appearing "cozy" outside a club in Miami, claiming Hearn should have been focusing on promoting the big women's fight between Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor , instead of making moves for ...
Read More

Billboard Apologizes For Taylor Swift Video After Backlash

Image
Photo: Taylor Swift / Instagram   Billboard recently ranked the greatest pop stars of the 21st century, placing Taylor Swift at #2.  However, many Swift fans, known as Swifties, were upset—not just about the ranking but also because a video celebrating Swift included a clip of a naked wax figure of her from Kanye West ’s controversial “Famous” video. Late Wednesday night, Billboard apologized for the mistake. “We are deeply sorry to Taylor Swift and all our readers and viewers for including a clip that falsely depicted her in a video celebrating her achievements,” the statement said.  Photo: Taylor Swift / Instagram   They also confirmed the clip had been removed and expressed regret for any harm caused. Despite the apology for the video, Billboard did not address Swift’s placement at #2.  this is disgusting @billboard ! @taylornation13 @treepaine do your work pic.twitter.com/cgoh9UtW80 — Taylor Swift 🪶statistics ⸆⸉ (@TSstatistics) November 27, 2024 We a...
Read More

Kimbo Slice Proves He's More Than A Street Fighter

Image
Photo: Kimbo Slice / Instagram Kimbo Slice, known for his legendary backyard brawls, showed he could hang with the best in professional fighting. He shocked the combat sports world by defeating Olympic gold medal-winning boxer and former heavyweight champion Ray Mercer in an MMA fight. Slice, whose real name was Kevin Ferguson, gained fame in the early 2000s through viral videos of his street fights. With a growing fan base, he decided to take his talents to the MMA world, training for two years before facing Mercer. At 46, Mercer had an impressive boxing career, having fought legends like Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield . But by the time he stepped into the cage with Slice, he was past his prime. Photo: Kimbo Slice / Instagram When the fight began, Slice wasted no time, rushing across the cage to take Mercer down. Mercer managed to get back on his feet, but Slice’s aggression was too much. After landing knees and another takedown, Slice locked in a guillotine choke, forcing Mercer...
Read More

Khabib Nurmagomedov Reveals Justin Gaethje Hit Him Hardest In UFC Career

Image
Photo: Khabib Nurmagomedov / Instagram Khabib Nurmagomedov , one of the greatest fighters in UFC history, has faced many tough opponents. But when it comes to punching power, he says no one hit harder than Justin Gaethje . The two fought at UFC 254 on October 24, 2020. It was Khabib’s last fight before retiring. During the bout, Gaethje landed heavy punches and kicks that Khabib admitted were painful. “He hit like a truck,” Khabib said on Mike Tyson ’s Hotboxin' podcast. “His left hook, right hook, uppercut—they all hurt. But I made him hit me because I knew he didn’t like wrestling. My plan was to tire him out by standing with him, then take him to the ground and finish the fight.” Photo: Khabib Nurmagomedov / Instagram Khabib ended the fight with a triangle choke submission. He explained he chose the move out of respect for Gaethje’s parents, who were watching. “I didn’t want to break his arm in front of his parents,” Khabib said. “So I put him to sleep instead. That’s better.” D...
Read More