Two-hitter Shohei Ohtani has hit the free agent market. Ohtani broke into Major League Baseball (MLB) after playing for Nippon Professional Baseball’s Nippon Ham, signing with the Los Angeles Angels after the 2017 season.
He has become a “superstar” in the MLB, playing as both a pitcher and a hitter. The Angels made a qualifying offer (QO) to Ohtani after the season, which he declined.굿모닝토토 주소
QOs are part of MLB’s free agency system. It is when a team offers a player who is eligible for free agency to stay with the team for one more season. In return, the team promises to pay the player the average salary of 125 MLB players.
Players who receive a QO have one week to respond to their original club. Ohtani said “no” to the Angels. Local media outlets in the United States, including MLB.com, reported the news of Ohtani’s rejection of the QO on July 15 (KST).
This means that Ohtani will be able to negotiate a free agent contract with all 30 MLB teams during the offseason, including the Angels. According to MLB.com, the Angels offered Ohtani a one-year, $20.32 million qualifying offer.
“Ohtani can command a contract worth at least $500 million in free agency,” MLB.com said, “which is reason enough to decline the Angels’ QO.” The Angels could receive a 2024 MLB First-Year Player Draft pick in return if Ohtani signs with another team.
Ohtani went 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA in 23 appearances as a pitcher this season and batted .340 with 44 home runs and 95 RBIs in 135 games as a hitter. However, Ohtani will focus exclusively on hitting in 2024.
He had elbow surgery. However, MLB teams are still interested in Ohtani.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, and the Texas Rangers, who won the World Series this year, are among the teams that are interested in him.
In addition to Ohtani, Cody Bellinger (formerly of the Chicago Cubs), Matt Chapman (formerly of the Toronto Blue Jays), infielder Ha Sung Kim (formerly of the San Diego Padres), Blake Snell and Josh Hader, Sonny Gray (formerly of the New York Yankees), and Aaron Nola (formerly of the Philadelphia Phillies) have all turned down QOs from their original clubs.