Shohei Ohtani Reveals His Biggest Goals After Joining Dodgers
The Dodgers officially introduced two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani on Thursday in front of a media frenzy at Dodger Stadium. It was the first time he had spoken to the media since August, and everyone was very excited to hear from him.
Ohtani provided some details about his free agency process, why he joined the Dodgers, and revealed his biggest goals now that he is with L.A. His longtime fans already knew he desired to win, but hearing Ohtani cite it as a driver of his record-setting contract was nice.
In six seasons with the Angels, Ohtani never got a chance to play postseason baseball. Getting there will be his first goal to check off. The Dodgers have made the playoffs 11 straight years, and are not expected to slow down any time soon.
Once they get into the dance, anything is possible. A healthy Ohtani gives any team a better chance of advancing.
Actions speak louder than words, and Ohtani certainly put his money where his mouth is. The unprecedented deferrals in his contract give the Dodgers extra spending room from 2023-34, giving the front office a better chance of surrounding Ohtani with top-tier talent.
The Dodgers have already heavily pursued free agent starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. On Saturday, they completed a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays for right-handed pitcher Tyler Glasnow and outfielder Manuel Margot.
Ohtani's team-first mentality gives the Dodgers' front office plenty of flexibility toward roster building — exactly the type of mindset executives desire from a star player.
Now, the onus is on president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman to give Ohtani the 10-year partnership he hopes for — one that will end with multiple World Series rings.
