Shohei Ohtani contract: when the two-way Angels phenomenon hits free agency and what his salary looks like so far

Two-way Los Angeles Angels phenomenon Shohei Ohtani is, without a doubt, one of the most dynamic and entertaining players in Major League Baseball. Ohtani, who will likely win the American League’s Most Valuable Player award this fall, does more than capture the attention of the baseball world. He also does more than get league teams to reconsider the viability of two-way players.

Why, Ohtani is doing what his teammate Mike Trout has been doing for years: inspiring viral tweets about how his historic talent hasn’t catapulted the Angels to playoff (or even regular season) glory, and making non-Angels fans wonder: when is this guy a free agent, from anyway?

For the answer to this question, as well as two others relevant to the topic, we direct you below.

1. When is Ohtani a free agent?

The short answer: soon-ish.

The longer answer: Ohtani, 27, will enter the free market at the end of the 2023 season. MLB requires players to accumulate six years of big-league service before qualifying for free agency. Ohtani is nearing the end of his fourth full season, putting him at just two years old.

At that point, Ohtani will be 29 years old.

2. What is special about Ohtani’s situation?

It’s worth remembering that Ohtani’s arrival in MLB was not won in advance – at least not when it happened. On the contrary, he had to choose between maximizing his earnings and arriving in the United States as quickly as he did.

This is because of the MLB rules regarding international free agents who are classified as “amateurs”. Players who are over 25 and have played more than six seasons in a foreign league are allowed to sign as much as they want, like a standard free agent. Players who do not meet these requirements are limited in their earning potential to whatever teams can offer from their international free agent bonus pool.

Ohtani, who did not meet any of the conditions, signed with the Angels for a signing bonus of $ 2.3 million. (For reference, the 30th pick in this year’s draft was worth $ 2.37 million.) That mark is way below what Ohtani should have received, and what he would have received if he had. expected to be considered a non-amateur free agent.

The kicker is that Ohtani’s former team, the Nippon Ham Fighters, received $ 20 million as part of their deal to post it. Go figure it out.

MLB teams were prohibited from bending the rules by signing, for example, Ohtani for long-term overtime during his rookie season. The Angels have since paid him more than the league minimum (but not by much) in two of his three pre-umpiring seasons. The two sides also struck a two-year deal in February that bought back two of Ohtani’s three officiating seasons in exchange for $ 8.5 million. Ohtani receives a salary of $ 3 million this season with a raise to $ 5.5 million next year. Here’s a look at the rest of his Angels contract:

• 2021: $ 3,000,000
• 2022: $ 5,500,000
• 2023: eligible for arbitration
• 2024: Free agent

To state the obvious: the majority of Ohtani’s MLB gains will come from his next free agent contract.

3. Can the Angels afford to keep Ohtani?

This is a difficult question to answer given that we are more than two years away from the free agency of Ohtani. Plus, we don’t even know what the next collective agreement will entail. Even so, it might get interesting if things generally stay the same.

The Angels already have over $ 70 million pledged each year for Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon for the foreseeable future. The expiring contracts of Albert Pujols (this winter) and Justin Upton (the next) will free up space on the ledger.

Still, if Ohtani remains healthy and productive, he would have to be online for a huge paycheck. Would the Angels, a franchise with a $ 182 million payroll this season, be willing to accept 60% of its payroll being spent on three players? If the answer is no, then another interesting question comes into play: Would the Angels trade Ohtani?

Once again, it is too early to know how things will turn out. Time is running out, however, and it seems it’s only a matter of time before Ohtani’s salary reflects his abilities.