Diamondbacks Owner Has Interesting Words for Newest Dodger Shohei Ohtani

When Shohei Ohtani decided to join the Dodgers, it was met with a lot of hate online. Fans of other teams complained that it wasn't fair and that the Dodgers were now too good.

Yes, the Dodgers are a stacked team, but they are finally choosing to go all in. They even sat out last offseason to make sure they could go all in this offseason. However, his move to L.A. has seemed to upset more than just fans.

Arizona Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick was asked about Ohtani by the media. He praised the two-way superstar but also had some interesting comments regarding him and his massive deal.

“Last I looked, he’s one of nine. And the last I also looked, he’s a designated hitter. He’s a great player. Is he the second coming? I would suggest not.”

“Last I looked, he’s one of nine. And the last I also looked, he’s a designated hitter. He’s a great player. Is he the second coming? I would suggest not.” -Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick on Shohei Ohtani pic.twitter.com/Yl7tfqPIM7
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) December 14, 2023

While Ohtani is one of nine on the field, he is also the best player in the game today. And some believe that he is the best player of all time.

He is a once-in-a-lifetime star, so these comments somewhat came out of nowhere. It's likely that Kendrick is just angry that Ohtani came to play in the same division as his Diamondbacks.

Kendrick knows that it will be difficult for Arizona to compete in the NL West for years to come, even with their own amount of young talent. He is trying to fire up his own team and fanbase, likely to distract from the fact that Ohtani is a Dodger.

But these comments may not play out in his favor. Ohtani is one of those athletes who tend to remember things that people have said about them, so his matchups against Arizona will be fun to watch.

The Diamondbacks may have swept the Dodgers in the postseason this past season, but L.A. has added more talent to their group now. This isn't to say Arizona wouldn't beat them again, but the challenge just got much tougher.