"A lot of what-ifs" - MLB analyst concerned around Shohei Ohtani's impact as a DH after injury and signing a $700,000,000 contract

Shohei Ohtani signed the largest sports contract in history with the Los Angeles Dodgers in December 2023. The $700 million, 10-year contract shocked the entire MLB world. Many people consider the all-rounder to be one of the best baseball players in the world.

Recently, Ex-MLB player and current Sunday Night Baseball analyst Eduardo Perez shared his thoughts on Ohtani’s deal in a recent appearance on the ‘Short and to the Point’ podcast. Perez stated that he couldn’t have imagined such a signing 15 years ago.

“The game is in really good condition, that means that the game is really making a lot of money,” said Perez. “The only way that ownership is going to spend that kind of money is knowing they can make more on it.”

Ohtani is one of the most popular athletes in Japan, and being a worldwide brand, the Dodgers can expect good returns. The team has quite a fan following in Japan and also a history with several successful Japanese players such as Hideo Nomo, Yu Darvish, Kazuhisa Ishii, Kenta Maeda and Takashi Saito.

“It’s not like Shohei has won world championships. It’s not like Shohei has played in the postseason, he has not. He has the World Baseball Classic, I’ll give him that,” the SNB analyst added. “But now Shohei has to come through for that fanbase and be healthy. We are still going to find out if that second surgery worked. Those are a lot of what-ifs.”

Ohtani is a remarkable player with a good record in the regular season, but it is not certain how well he will handle postseason pressure or how well he will pitch in 2025 after his recovery from surgery.

Shohei Ohtani was a menace as DH last season despite the injury

Shohei Ohtani has spent the past six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels both as a designated hitter and pitcher before being traded to the Dodgers. He was named an All-Star as both a DH and pitcher for three consecutive years and also won the 2023 Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award.

The left-handed batter hit .304, with 44 home runs, 96 RBIs, eighth triples and 20 stolen bases for the Angels last season. Unfortunately, Shohei Ohtani’s season ended early on Sep. 3, 2023 due to an oblique surgery. Despite suffering a UCL tear, Ohtani continued to play 10 games as the designated hitter until he suffered an oblique injury.