Shohei Ohtani's Gift To Teammate Suggests He Really Values Number 17

Joe Kelly's wife was a little blown away by a six-figure car sitting outside their house.

If you're Shohei Ohtani, being a brand ambassador for Porsche means more than occasionally posing for photos with a fast-looking car. Sometimes it means being a good teammate.

A really good teammate.

Veteran relief pitcher Joe Kelly wore number 17 for the Dodgers last season. He switched numbers so Ohtani can keep the same number he wore during his six seasons with the Angels. How did the two-way star repay the favor?

Check out video and the reaction from Kelly's wife, Ashley, as recorded in this Instagram post:

Before the Dodgers' signing of Ohtani was official, Ashley Kelly launched a social media camapaign with the hashtag #Ohtake17 to persuade Ohtani to come to Los Angeles.

The campaign was apparently more endearing to Ohtani than the Kellys could have imagined.

Even setting aside any financial relationships Ohtani has with Porsche, he can afford the gift. The model appears to be a Panamera, whose sticker price generally falls in the $100,000-$200,000 range. The Dodgers recently signed Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million contract, the largest ever for a professional athlete.

There is a long history in baseball of players giving up their jersey numbers to a new teammate in exchange for some kind of compensation. Even against the backdrop of that tradition, a Porsche counts as a lavish gift.

Kelly might need a new jersey number, but at least he doesn't have to worry about anyone in his family getting from Point A to Point B in style. 

The reactions on Instagram to Ashley Kelly's post from other players' wives said it all.

Chelsea Freeman (wife of Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman) responded with "🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥." Cara Smith (wife of Dodgers catcher Will Smith) responded with "Well deserved after a successful campaign 👏🏼👏🏼." Carissa Ferguson (wife of Dodgers pitcher Caleb Ferguson) responded with "Coolest ever!!!! Well deserved 🥰."

According to the Associated Press, earlier this month Kelly was asked what he wanted from Ohtani in exchange for his jersey number. “Oh, there’s a list," he said, cryptically, "but no comment.”

Whether a Porsche was on the list or not, the Kellys seem more than content with the gift.