Arizona Diamondbacks Owner Takes Shot at New Los Angeles Dodgers Star Shohei Ohtani
Over the past week or so, the Los Angeles' Dodgers' claim as MLB's most star-studded super team has only gotten stronger.
Right after they signed Shohei Ohtani to a record-breaking contract, they swung a trade for Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow and outfielder Manuel Margot. Those three are joining a team that already featured the second and third-place finishers in the NL MVP race in Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.
But atop the list of those who seemingly aren't impressed is Arizona Diamondbacks principal owner Ken Kendrick.
“I think it's good for us that we get to compete against (Ohtani)," Kendrick said to reporters on Dec. 13. "Last I looked, he's one of nine. And the last I also looked, he's a designated hitter."
Kendrick recognized Ohtani as an elite ballplayer – which is hard to deny about the two-time AL MVP – but stopped short of putting the two-way star up on a pedestal.
"He's a great player," Kendrick said. "Is he the second coming? I would suggest not."
Kendrick's Diamondbacks won 16 fewer games than the Dodgers this past regular season, and 37 fewer the year before that. When the two NL West foes met up in the NLDS this October, though, Arizona emerged victorious via a three-game sweep.
The Diamondbacks went on to win their first NL pennant in 22 years. while the Dodgers had to watch the Fall Classic from the comfort of their own homes for the third year in a row.
"We'll have fun competing against them," Kendrick said. "We already did have fun competing against them, at least the last time we played."
The Dodgers’ World Series odds have surely improved over the past month, even if Ohtani’s recent injury will prevent him from pitching in 2024. Ohtani led the AL in home runs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS in 2023, winning a second career Silver Slugger in the process.
The Diamondbacks, in that time, have traded for Seattle Mariners third baseman Eugenio Suarez, signed starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez and retained outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
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