“If you were to tell me this 15 years ago Jessica, I would have said you were nuts.”

Shohei Ohtani, a dual-threаt phenom, was signed to a ten-year, $700 million contract by the Los Angeles Dodgers last month. This contract is unprecedented for any player in MLB history until now.

Eduardo Pérez, a former Major League Baseball player and current Sunday Night Baseball broadcaster, discussed the deal in a recent episode of the podcast Short and to the Point, stating that he never would have thought something like this could happen in the MLB even fifteen years ago.

Pérez told STTP anchor Jessica Kleinschmidt, “The game is in really good condition” when asked about the signing of Ohtani. A lot of money is being made by the game. If ownership doesn’t think they can make a profit, they won’t spend so much money. The Japanese media market is going to be a tremendous boon for them. To become the most recognizable nаme in baseball, not just in the MLB but around the world. That is the current game-changer for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Jessica, if you had told me this fifteen years ago, I would have thought you were crаzy. Now that I’m covering it, I get it. Furthermore, Shohei does not have a history of winning world titles. Shohei has never even played in a playoff game. Yes, I will concede that he does have the World Baseball Classic. However, Shohei must now prove himself healthy in order to appease that fanbase. The role of designated hitter has changed his salary. We will still learn the outcome of the second operation. An overwhelming number of “what-ifs”

Here, Pérez does make some very valid arguments. Ohtani has a history of regular-season success, which is indicative of his generational skill. However, his potential performance in the postseason or upon his return to pitching in 2025 remаins an open question.

When it comes to those two points from Pérez, only time will tell. Although Pérez played in the Major League Baseball (MLB), it is evident that the sport has evolved during his time there.