Shohei Ohtani will cash in on his spectacular play for the Los Angeles Angels. While Ohtani has not put pen to paper on a long-term contract extension with the team and is still slated to become a free agent at the conclusion of the 2023 season, the team announced on Saturday afternoon that they agreed to a 1-year deal with Ohtani to avoid going through the arbitration process this offseason.
The team says that the terms of the deal will pay Ohtani $30 million for the 2023 campaign.
The #Angels today agreed to a one-year, $30 million contract with RHP/DH Shohei Ohtani for the 2023 season.
With the agreement, the arbitration process is avoided.
— Angels PR (@LAAngelsPR) October 1, 2022
Jeff Passan added that this is a record-setting deal for the 2021 AL MVP, as no one has ever received more money as an arbitration-eligible player.
Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Angels are in agreement on a one-year, $30 million contract to avoid arbitration. It’s the largest salary ever for an arbitration-eligible player and will be his final number before he hits the free agent jackpot following the 2023 season.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 1, 2022
Shohei Ohtani received a raise from $5.5 million this year to $30 million for 2023. Plenty of people in the industry were curious to see how his case would unfold, with Ohtani being the most unique player possible. Instead, he and the Angels settled and avoided answering that.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 1, 2022
While there is a good chance he does not go back-to-back as the AL MVP due to Aaron Judge’s season, Ohtani has been nothing short of a marvel for the Angels. One of the few bright spots on a team that will miss the postseason, Ohtani has managed to get the job done at the plate and on the mount, as he is hitting .276 with a .888 OPS, 34 home runs, and 94 RBIs. As a pitcher, Ohtani has racked up a 15-8 record with a 2.35 ERA and 213 strikeouts. He’ll almost certainly get more than $30 million a year when he hits free agency, but for now, he’ll get that as a pretty nice payday.