During his visit to the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, Shohei Ohtani was surprised with a gift.
A replica visa for the two-time American League MVP’s dog, Dekopin, better known as Decoy in the United States, was delivered to him at his meeting with U.S. Ambassador Rahm Emanuel.
“аmаzed to reconnect with the legendary Ohtani-san, the two-time MLB MVP,” Emanuel wrote on X (previously Twitter). “Maybe next time I’ll be fortunate enough to meet his MVPup, Decoy.”
Emanuel sent the present on Thursday, even though the visa was issued on January 9.
Ohtani included Decoy in his MVP award speech in November, which put him in the spotlight. Some thought Ohtani’s dog was nаmed for a team he was considering since the pitcher initially refused to share the nаme.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Shohei Ohtani inked a $700 million, 10-year deal in December. At his first press conference at Dodger Stadium, he would subsequently announce his dog’s nаme.
According to reports, the Phillies have decided to forego arbitration in favor of contracts with Hoffman and Suarez.
The Phillies have reportedly avoided arbitration with contracts with Hoffman and Suarez, according to NBC Sports. In Philadelphia
According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, the Phillies avoided salary arbitration the day before it was scheduled by reaching one-year contracts with Ranger Suarez ($5.05M) and Jeff Hoffman ($2.2M).
Two of the five Phillies—Gregory Soto, Alec Bohm, and Edmundo Sosa—were eligible for arbitration.
This was the second of Suarez’s three years of arbitration. He made $2.95 million in the previous season.
In 2023, his eighth year in the major leagues, Hoffman solidified his role as a late-inning relief weapon with better command and a slider that batters had trouble square upping. This was his last arbitration year. After the Twins released him from spring training, Hoffman had a great year with 54 appearances, a 2.41 ERA, and a 0.92 WҺIP.
After the 2025 season, Suarez will no longer be under the team’s supervision. He is a tremendous success for the Phillies’ foreign scouting department; since his 2012 signing for $25,000, he has not only reached the major leagues, but has also established himself as an integral component of the team’s playoff rotations. With 386⅓ innings pitched and an ERA of 3.19, Suarez has emerged as a top performer over the past three seasons. He has performed admirably in every one of the six playoff series, amassing a dazzling 1.62 ERA and 0.90 WҺIP in 33⅓ innings. He is an expensive team’s lifeblood, and his contributions have been vital.
To avoid arbitration, teams generally strike agreements with their players in the week leading up to the exchange of figures; the Phillies may be able to do the same with their last three players by the week’s conclusion. On January 13, 2018, the Phillies signed Suarez, Soto, Sosa, and Rhys Hoskins. A month later, in an effort to sidestep hearings, they extended Jose Alvarado and Seranthony Dominguez.
According to MLBTradeRumors’ Matt Swartz, Soto is expected to receive $4.9 million, Bohm $4.3 million, and Sosa $1.7 million.
Jake Cave ($1M), Garrett Stubbs ($850K), and Dylan Covey ($850K) were all signed to one-year contracts by the Phillies earlier this winter, allowing them to avoid arbitration.