When the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani, they knew exactly what they were doing. Given that most of his $700 million is deferred, the two-way phenom only gets $2 million annually. But the kind of revenue he brings to the team? Definitely more than the annual payment he’s getting, that’s for sure. Not just as a player, but the Dodgers knew that Ohtani would be a great investment from a business point of view.  

But was LA ready for the kind of fandom and revenue that the Japanese player is bringing? Nope, they could not even imagine. Shohei Ohtani crossed all the projections LA had. Not just in the United States, but when the club acquired Ohtani from the Angels they gained an entire Ohtani fan club from Japan too! ESPN baseball reporter Alden González has seen it with his eyes.  

The Dodgers have become a dream team for every free agent out there 

In a recent episode of the Foul Territory, Alden González sits down with A.J. Talk about Shohei Ohtani’s impact on the Dodgers. González said, “I’m at Dodger stadium at lot during the year, like every day there are Japanese tour groups that go through that stadium. Just tourism in general to Los Angeles has changed dramatically because of Shohei Ohtani.” The baseball reporter continued to say that there have been frustrations from other fan bases and that he totally understands. 

Actually, we do too. The Dodgers have kind of played Monopoly and captured every single property there is. Andrew Freeman once talked about how they wanted to make LA a landing spot for free agents and looks like they have succeeded in doing so. The weather during the regular season? Great. Abundant resources? Check. Packed stadiums? Check. Winning games and making it to the postseason. All check. Who doesn’t wanna be Dodger at this point, right? But not everyone gets a Golden ticket to see the chocolate factory, just like not everyone can be a Dodger. 

The latest player to get the golden ticket is Tanner Scott  

The Dodgers are making it clear—they’re building an unstoppable powerhouse. Fresh off signing Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki, L.A. has now locked down one of baseball’s most dominant relievers, agreeing to a four-year, $72 million deal with lefty Tanner Scott, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. While the team hasn’t confirmed the deal yet, it’s already making waves across the league.  

Scott is coming off a stellar 2024 season in which he posted a sparkling 1.75 ERA and earned his first All-Star selection. The southpaw took things to another level after being traded from the Marlins to the Padres on July 30, delivering a lights-out postseason performance. He struck out seven over 4 1/3 scoreless innings—including a jaw-dropping feat of fanning Shohei Ohtani all four times he faced him.  

The Dodgers’ deal reportedly includes a $20 million signing bonus and $21 million in deferred salary, giving them some financial breathing room while securing one of the nastiest bullpen arms in the game. With Scott’s electric fastball-slider combo now in the mix, L.A.’s pitching staff is looking scarier than ever—and their championship aspirations just got even more serious.