It is a saga of years of friendship versus missing millions. The twisted tale of betrayals, gambling debts, and federal inquiries has long crossed the boundaries of the MLB world. Even though Shohei Ohtani initiated an investigation against the “massive theft” of his funds, the latest intel suggests that the Dodgers sensation might already know about the behind-the-scenes of the fumble of his funds being used for betting, something that Pat McAfee was eager to delve into on his show.

Ippei Mizuhara’s alleged ties with Mathew Bowyer, a South California bookmarker were the base for the federal investigation, per LA Times. More than a dozen others, including former Dodgers star Yasiel Puig, have been charged after a wider probe. Seems that the investigation team’s probing is nowhere near conclusion since ESPN Jeff Passan’s latest reports have launched a new dimension in the alleged theft. Well, the initial ESPN reports did, eliciting an intriguing reaction from Pat McAfee.

Ippei Mizuhara’s tale leaves Pat McAfee stunned

When Jeff Passan revealed Mizuhara’s initial ties with the NFL and college football, along with the NBA, McAfee couldn’t wrap his head around the fact. “Shohei Ohtani knew that there was gambling involved with Ippei Mizuhara. At that point that story that had been told to Tisha Thompson, our reporter was that Ippei Mizuhara had gambled on international soccer and the NFL, college football, NBA, not baseball,” Passan revealed in the Pat McAfee show.

Upon hearing the news, McAfee couldn’t stop himself from exclaiming, “That big. That’s big news.” ESPN’s Tisha Thompson confirmed claiming that Bowyer dealt directly with Mizuhara, who placed bets on international soccer matches and other sports – but not baseball –starting in 2021.

Thompson further added that Bowyer was aware of the name on the wire transfers, which were reported to be $4.5 million, but chose not to ask any questions as long as the payments came in. Yet, all of it the lies and tries of Mizuhara to hide the scandal from Ohtani went right down the drain as the Dodgers made the expected decision.

Dodgers fire Ippei Mizuhara

The IRS confirmed on Thursday that Mizuhara and Bowyer are under criminal investigation. As soon as the Dodgers officials recovered from the carousel of actions that unfolded, they fired Ohtani’s interpreter Mizuhara. The news broke mere hours after Ohtani made his highly-awaited debut with the Dodgers in South Korea.

Following the firing of Mizuhara, Dodgers’ skipper Dave Roberts engaged in a press conference hours before the Seoul Series finale. While he swiftly maneuvered past Mizuhara’s statements, he did break major news to the media. For now, Will Ireton will succeed Mizuhara as Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter. The changes will be major for Ohtani and the Dodgers, however, they are preparing themselves for much worse as the IRS investigation continues. What do you think it will all boil down to? Let us know in the comments.

READ MORE: Amidst Shohei Ohtani’s Ippei Mizuhara Crisis, Will the Dodgers Hire a New Interpreter for the Two-Way Star?