As one of the most distinctive players in MLB history, Shohei Ohtani has emerged. Ohtani, the two-time MVP of the American League, has consistently gone against the grain of what many baseball fans and analysts thought was feasible on the field.
The Japanese phenomenon, who has played for seven teams, has emerged as the world’s most popular baseball player, particularly since he joined the Los Angeles Dodgers this summer. Shohei Ohtani’s agreement to a mammoth 10-year, $700,000,000 deal to join the Los Angeles Dodgers this offseason sent the sports world into a frenzy.
“Breaking: Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani to sign with Angels as both hitter and pitcher” – Bleacher Report, TwitterAlthough Ohtani appears to fit in perfectly with the Dodgers, he actually waited a few years to sign with the team after deciding to sign with the Los Angeles Angels upon entering the Major League Baseball. The news that the two-way star would be joining Mike Trout in the Angels lineup excited many, but not everyone agreed with the choice.
Among them was Justin Turner, who took a break from arranging his nuptials to attempt to persuade Ohtani to sign with the Dodgers in 2018. Regarding the in-person meeting with Ohtani, Turner told the New York Post, “He might as well not have been sitting there.” “We could have been talking to a window.”
“Shohei Ohtani was introduced to @ClaytonKersh22’s curveball” – @Cut4.
An irritated Before Shohei Ohtani decided to sign with the Angels, Justin Turner was not the only Los Angeles Dodgers star to meet with him. Clayton Kershaw, a legend in the club, was there during the meeting and expressed frustration with the whole thing. Kershaw expressed his annoyance at his agent for causing them to squander so much time and energy.
Shohei Ohtani eventually joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in spite of the rejection.
Ohtani eventually made it to the squad, despite possible resentment from some Dodgers players and his decision to sign with the Los Angeles Angels before the 2018 season. The two-way superstar’s joining the Dodgers felt inevitable in what was perhaps the most anticipated offseason in recent memory.
Ohtani signed with the Dodgers, but a number of other teams, including the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, and San Diego Padres, met with him or were connected to him. We’ll never know if Turner or Kershaw have any unresolved grudges.