Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels is a proven star, although injuries have raised questions about his worth moving forward. He is dealing with a torn UCL, but several MLB executives believe the 29-year-old is due big money once he hits free agency.
In the eyes of some unnamed MLB executives, Ohtani is likely to get a new contract worth around $500 million in the winter once he hits free agency, Jim Bowden of The Athletic reported.
Should that happen, the 2016 Japan Series champion would become the highest-paid player in the sport's history.
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"A few execs from larger markets opined that Ohtani is such a special talent and unique case that it will take half-a-billion dollars to land him even if he can't be that pitcher again," Bowden wrote.
The AL MVP frontrunner was shut down last month after he was diagnosed with a tear in his UCL. He currently ranks second in MLB with 44 homers while batting .304/.412/.654 with an OPS of 1.066, Bleacher Report reported.
Ohtani may return to Angels after all
But on Thursday, Ohtani showed signs of good things to come. The 29-year-old took swings in the batting cage and other baseball activities, hinting that he could be returning for the Angels soon, the Associated Press reported.
"He's moving around good," Los Angeles manager Phil Nevin stated. "The swings were close, but not close enough to start tonight. So we may ramp up later, and he's got a chance to pinch-hit."
Although Ohtani was not listed in the starting lineup of the spiraling Angels, Nevin suggested that there may be a chance that "Shotime" could be available to pinch-hit.
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