$700M Shohei Ohtani Signing – A Master Plan to Turn Dodgers Into Japan’s Favorite Team, Reveals Ambitious Andrew Friedman

What’s better than signing one superstar? Signing two. But what’s better than signing two superstars? The Los Angeles Dodgers have found the answer to this question. Ever since they signed Shohei Ohtani and then Yoshinobu Yamamoto, it became obvious that there was a deeper strategy at play within the Blue Crew. While fans wondered what that plan was, their president, Andrew Friedman, has come out to announce it himself. 

The Dodgers shattered multiple records on the way to a historic offseason. With more than $1 billion spent, they’ve sent the market to a different horizon. But while one could call this an expenditure, for the Dodgers, this is an opportunity cost. A way to turn the land of Rising Sun into Bleeding Dodger Blue soon.

Shohei Ohtani and the idea to turn the Blue Crew global

The Dodgers have always been known as the Yankees of the West. The logic was simple: they had the same financial power and success that the Bronx Bombers had. That moniker has become more appropriate after their current offseason. The rival fans are calling them “the new big evil empire,” but the Dodgers’ President Andrew Friedman shared with the New York Post that they are playing the long game here. 

“The potential tail of value of kids growing up [in Japan] being passionate Dodger fans, turning into really good players in the NPB [Nippon Professional Baseball], and then in an ideal world wanting to be a Dodger when they come over to play Major League Baseball,” Friedman said about this offseason activity.

So the Dodgers are aiming to create a strong pipeline in Japan. As one knows, NPB is flush with great talents, as proven by the fact that Samurai Japan won the 2023 WBC. To this end, the Blue Crew has given Ohtani a record $700 million deal. On the other hand, they’ve given Yamamoto a 12-year, $325 million deal—the highest ever amount and number of years for a pitcher. 

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But this isn’t very expensive if the Dodgers succeed in getting the best talents from Japan. Especially as the NPB is turning out to be a melting pot of huge talents.

The high potential of this strategy for the Los Angeles Dodgers 

In the past few years, there has been an added buzz regarding Japanese players. Shohei Ohtani turned out to be one of the greatest players of all time. Then there was immense interest in Kodai Senga, and finally, this offseason, Yoshinobu Yamamoto had half the league running behind him. Then there’s Roki Sasaki, the rapidly rising young ace who is looking to leap soon.

Read more: Shohei Ohtani Begins Spring Training With Positive Update, Swing Nears Top Form Amidst Recovery Process

With the speed with which Japan is producing these talents, it is quickly becoming a hotspot for scouts. This strategy by the Dodgers could put them much ahead of the competition, and that could prove to be a game-changer for them in the long run. It’s quite an interesting strategy, all things considered.