Angels star Shohei Ohtani speaks to reporters during the All-Star Game player availability Monday in Seattle. Ohtani is the starting DH in the American League and will take the No. 2 spot. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
By TIM BOOTH AP Sports Editor
SEATTLE — At some point, Angels star Shohei Ohtani will entertain the idea of talking about his pending free agency and what it could mean for baseball’s finances.
But that hasn’t stopped others from thinking about what could happen this offseason when perhaps the most unique free agent in history hits the open market.
Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez and Toronto pitcher Jordan Romano both threw in $600 million as the suggested figure. Baltimore outfielder Austin Hays offered everything in his theoretical portfolio.
Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman simply called it a unicorn with a price tag that can’t be quantified.
“He’s going to make a lot of money and he deserves it. There’s no other player like him,” Atlanta wide receiver Sean Murphy said Monday. “I don’t know what I would do if I was in the position of having to sign him, but he’s incredible.”
The biggest attraction of Tuesday’s All-Star Game is also the biggest prize this offseason. With Ohtani’s Angels contract ending after this season, the two-way star is the desire of everyone in baseball with a big enough checkbook.
Ohtani, 29, said his desire to play for a winning team remains a top priority.
“These feelings get stronger every year,” Ohtani said through his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. “It sucks to lose. He wants to win, so it gets stronger every year.
But quantifying what Ohtani deserves is neither simple nor straightforward. How do you create a number that takes into account your value as a pitcher and hitter?
“I think when he got to Major League Baseball, a lot of people were really saying, ‘Hey, this guy is going to have to do one or the other.’ It’s really special how you can do it right now, but how long can he do it?’ said Philadelphia closer Craig Kimbrel. “We’re still sitting here talking about him being the best on both sides. It’s really fun to watch.”
Ohtani’s deal in free agency is likely to surpass anything baseball has seen before in terms of contract value, either in total over the life of the deal or on average per season.
Whichever path Ohtani and his CAA representatives choose, the winning suitor will make a substantial financial commitment. The 12-year, $426.5 million deal signed by Angels star Mike Trout or the $360 million deal signed last offseason by New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge might seem minor in comparison.
“As much money as I have. I’m giving it everything I’ve got,” said Hays, the starting center fielder in Tuesday’s All-Star Game.
Ohtani was already going to receive a whopping salary, but his performance in the first half of this season potentially added a bit more salary. The 2021 American League MVP leads the majors in home runs (32), triples (six) and slugging percentage (.663) and is hitting a career-high .302. On the mound, he has a 3.32 ERA, a shade higher than his career mark of 3.04, but he averages 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings (123 strikeouts, 100⅓ innings) . All of this equates to a WAR (wins above replacement) of 6.0 per Fangraphs, the highest in baseball.
“As a baseball fan, it’s just amazing to see what he can do,” Freeman said. “I know what it takes to be a hitter and how much work, preparation and mindset it takes to get there every day. And this man, every five days, throws too. I don’t understand. I don’t even know how to quantify that. We will all find out together.
Ohtani was swamped by the media Monday and did not address any of the lingering unknowns of next season or the upcoming trade deadline, saying his goal was to help the slumping Angels (45-46) win as much as possible.
“I’ve never been a free agent before, so I don’t know how it’s going to go,” Ohtani said. “I’m focused on this season right now. I just want to do my best this year, try to get as many wins as possible and do my best.
Sandwiched between the Ohtani circus and Seattle star Julio Rodríguez on the warning track at T-Mobile Park was Houston’s Kyle Tucker, who is having a tremendous season himself.
“They pretty much get all the media and I hang out here, so it’s pretty cool,” Tucker said.
Tucker has seen his share of Ohtani up close with the Astros and Angels both in the AL West. Tucker described playing against Ohtani as “fun, but difficult at the same time.”
“Just you going against Shohei, which is kind of fun,” Tucker said. “Anytime you have a really good pitcher on the mound, it’s very competitive. It’s a little more fun.
Fun is relative when it comes to someone with Ohtani’s pitching arsenal. The same goes for all the pitchers who tried to find the holes in Ohtani’s swing and avoid being part of his highlight.
“Every time he’s out there, I try to take a look at him and observe him,” Boston closer Kenley Jansen said.
Dodgers catcher Will Smith might have summed it up better, noting that Ohtani appears to be hitting his peak.
“It’s amazing what he does,” Smith said. “He seems to keep getting better, which is even more amazing, honestly.”
For his part, Ohtani would not say which All-Star Game players recruited him.
“I think I’ll keep this a secret,” he said.
AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum and wire services contributed to this story.
