Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani announces he is signing with the Dodgers

LOS ANGELES – The Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes are over.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, as they had long dreamed, held the winning ticket.

In a blockbuster announcement Saturday, Ohtani agreed to a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers, according to a statement posted on Instagram, bringing the two-time most valuable player across town after his historic six-year stint with the Angels.

With the Dodgers, the 29-year-old Ohtani will become an instant face of the franchise, as well as the highest-paid player in MLB history, with his record-breaking contract shattering Mike Trout’s previous high of $426.5 million.

The deal includes unprecedented deferrals, the majority of Shohei’s salary, in fact, which was his idea, to mitigate the competitive balance tax and cash flow burdens on the Dodgers and to enable the team to have the flexibility in order to be as competitive as possible, a source with knowledge of the deal not authorized to speak publicly told The Los Angeles Times.

The agreement includes no opt outs, said another person with knowledge of the deal unauthorized to speak publicly.

“This is a unique, historic contract for a unique, historic player,” said Nez Balelo of CAA Sports, Ohtani’s agent. “Shohei is thrilled to be a part of the Dodgers organization. He is excited to begin this partnership, and he structured his contract to reflect a true commitment from both sides to long-term success.”

Ohtani broke the news on his Instagram account a day after conflicting reports suggested he was on the verge of signing with the Toronto Blue Jays. The silence his camp maintained made tracking his intentions difficult.

“To all the fans and everyone involved in the baseball world, I apologize for taking so long to come to a decision. I have decided to choose the Dodgers as my next team,” Ohtani posted on Instagram. “First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone involved with the Angels organization and the fans who have supported me over the past six years, as well as to everyone involved with each team that was part of this negotiation process. Especially to the Angels fans who supported me through all the ups and downs, your guys’ support and cheer meant the world to me. The six years I spent with the Angels will remain etched in my heart forever.”

Although he is expected to be limited to only designated hitting duties next season, after undergoing his second Tommy John surgery in September, the Japanese star still represents one of the biggest player acquisitions in the Dodgers’ storied history, transforming their already star-studded lineup with arguably the most dangerous hitter in the sport.

Ohtani’s skill set has long dazzled Dodgers brass. The team tried to sign him out of high school, but the teenage prodigy elected to play in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league instead.

The club again pursued Ohtani when he came to the majors ahead of the 2018 season but lost out to the Angels at a time National League clubs lacked the designated hitter role, hampering the team’s ability to let Ohtani pitch and hit regularly.

This latest pursuit came with more complications, stemming both from Ohtani’s elbow surgery (which is expected to keep him off the mound until 2025) and his notoriously tight-lipped inner circle, which left even top team executives around the league guessing as to what factors the player valued most.

All along, the Dodgers were seen as front-runners, if not outright favorites. They provided Ohtani with the chance to stay in Southern California, where he seemed to grow increasingly comfortable during his decorated tenure in Anaheim. They are an annual World Series threat, all but certain to give Ohtani his first true taste of championship contention.

And the Dodgers had other dynamics seemingly working in their favor, from their track record of helping pitchers through extended injury rehabilitation, to their vast array of player-development and game-planning resources – all of which were believed to be selling points in their pitch to this year’s premier free agent.

Yet, entering the offseason, speculation still swirled about Ohtani’s other suitors.

There were rumblings early in the winter about the Boston Red Sox; that Ohtani might quietly have interest in a move to Fenway Park.

At various points during the process, rumors circulated around clubs such as the Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays; and whether they could quietly emerge as potential dark-horse candidates.

A week before the winter meetings, industry buzz suggested the Chicago Cubs were making a big push, perhaps in an effort to pair their new blockbuster managerial hire of Craig Counsell with an even bigger splash by landing the game’s biggest star.

And all along, the Angels lurked as a possible fallback, having helped nurture Ohtani’s MLB ascent despite missing the playoffs in each of his six seasons with the club.

Nonetheless, with Ohtani’s camp reportedly pressuring interested teams to keep negotiations secret, almost no one in the sport knew exactly which rumors were legitimate or which theories were safe to trust.

In the end, the biggest question appeared to be whether another team would attempt to outbid the Dodgers for Ohtani, or he held unknown preferences that would steer his decision to a surprise landing spot.

Instead, the Dodgers checked all the boxes, got Ohtani to agree to sign on the dotted line and will now embark upon a reality they have long dreamed of, set to watch the most unique talent in MLB history don blue and white for years to come.