MLB insider makes massive Shohei Ohtani prediction

It’s no secret that Shohei Ohtani could become MLB’s highest-paid player ever. After all, the Los Angeles Angels superstar proved that he’s arguably the best player on the planet when he struck out Mike Trout to preserve Japan’s World Baseball Classic victory on Tuesday night.

After his ridiculous performance on a huge stage, Ohtani being an impending free agent only continued to fuel rumors of his upcoming massive payday across the baseball world. As owners salivate at the thought of the sensational two-way player hitting the open market, it led to insiders speculating on what a potential contract would look like for the 28-year-old pitcher/designated hitter and whether or not he’ll remain with the Angels through the 2023 MLB season. 

ESPN MLB insider Buster Olney leaned into those rumors. He threw out a whopping number for Ohtani’s potential contract figures during an appearance on Get Up Wednesday morning.

“It’s gonna be the year of Ohtani, there’s no doubt about that,” Olney said. “At the WBC, he had the hardest hit ball (118 mph). He had the hardest-pitched ball (102 mph). And yes, the Angels will keep him throughout the year. Their owner Arte Moreno is on the record as saying, ‘We’re competing. We’re gonna keep him and then he’ll become a free agent…The question at that point is the offer that he signs starts with the number five or starts with the number six. 

“I think it’s gonna be $600 million-plus because there’s nobody else in baseball that can do what he can do, that can replicate his production, replicate his marketability…He’s going to have enormous bidding for the best player in the world.”

Olney mentions the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, and possibly the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners as possible destinations for Shohei Ohtani.

[Get Up]