“I want Ohtani to play in the World Series,” said Isshin Watanabe, a baseball fan speaking Sunday near Tokyo’s famous Ginza shopping area. “That’s my hope.”
Baseball fans across Tokyo lined up Sunday to buy special editions of the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper, announcing Ohtani’s move across town from the Angels to the Dodgers.
Fans in Japan’s northeastern prefecture of Iwate, where Ohtani grew up and went to high school, also celebrated by buying extra editions of the local newspaper, the Iwate Nippo.
“I’ve been following Ohtani since his high school years,” Asihisa Suzuki told Japan’s news agency Kyodo. “I want to cheer him wherever he is.”
Kyodo reported that fans gathered at Ohtani’s high school, named Hanamaki Higashi, and took photographs of a monument that shows his handprint.
This is perhaps the largest contract in sports history, topping highs believed to have been set by soccer stars Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé.
Ohtani’s contract is the largest in Major League Baseball history by more than $250 million, surpassing former Angels teammate Mike Trout‘s 12-year, $426.5 million deal. It also easily topped the $450 million deal signed by Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, which at the time was the largest in North American professional sports history.
Ohtani’s $70 million average annual salary eclipses the previous MLB record of $43.3 million for Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer and is more than the 2023 Opening Day payrolls of the Baltimore Orioles ($60.9 million) and Oakland Athletics ($56.9 million).
One fan in Japan noted that Ohtani’s salary also is more than the entire player payroll for at least one Japanese professional team, using the SoftBank Hawks of Fukuoka as the example.
“That sounds like a dream,” said Yuto Manabe, also speaking in Ginza.
Ohtani, the reigning American League MVP, is likely to only play this coming season as a designated hitter as he recovers from surgery that is expected to prevent him from pitching.
“I think Ohtani will return to the two-way role the year after next,” Watanabe said. “I want him to be the home run king next year.”
As of early Sunday morning, the deal still had not been announced by the Dodgers, who must create room for Ohtani on their 40-man roster.
Ohtani, 29, is a larger-than-life hero in Japan and the country’s most famous athlete. He has stoked national pride by reaching the pinnacle of a game beloved by many Americans and Latin Americans.
Japanese fans have already been following Ohtani intently through television and other media, but this move is sure to raise his profile even higher with advertisers and sponsors who focus on the Japan market.
Ohtani, the first player in baseball history to be named unanimous MVP on multiple occasions, is one of the most marketable athletes in the world, driving ticket sales, television revenue and sponsorship deals.
“I’m so happy. I had been waiting for this announcement since yesterday,” said Sho Sato, who is a nurse.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
BOSTON — Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas suffered a ruptured tendon in his left knee and is out for the remainder of the season, the team said.
The 25-year-old Casas ruptured his patellar tendon running to first on a slow roller up the line and fell awkwardly in Boston’s victory over the Minnesota Twins on Friday night. After laying on his back in pain — not moving the knee — he was carted off on a stretcher before being taken to a Boston hospital.
The team announced Sunday that he had surgery for a left patellar tendon repair at Massachusetts General Hospital. The surgery was performed by Dr. Eric Berkson.
“I talked to him last night,” chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said in a news conference on Saturday discussing the injury outside Boston’s clubhouse. “We exchanged text messages [Saturday]. We all care deeply about just his overall wellbeing.”
Manager Alex Cora said Casas worked hard during the offseason to play every day after missing a large amount of last year with torn cartilage in his rib cage.
“He did an outstanding job in the offseason to put himself in that situation. It didn’t start the way he wanted it to,” Cora said of Casas’ struggles. “He was going to play and play a lot. Now we’ve got to focus on the rehab after the surgery and hopefully get him back stronger than ever and ready to go next year.”
Casas batted just .182 with three homers and 11 RBIs, but Breslow said his loss will be felt, especially with the team’s lack of depth at the position.
“He certainly struggled through the first month of the season but that didn’t change what we believe his production was capable of being,” Breslow said. “It’s a big loss. In addition to what we think we were going to get on the offensive side, he was kind of like a stabilizing presence on the defensive side of the field — also a big personality and a big part of the clubhouse.”
During spring training, Casas talked about how his focus at the plate this season was being more relaxed.
“You really want it until you don’t,” he said, explaining his thoughts while standing at his locker. “Then you can’t want it that much.”
Now, he’ll have to focus on his recovery plan for next season.
Casas, a left-handed batter, was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday with infielder/outfielder Abraham Toro selected from Triple-A Worcester.
Cora said Toro — a switch-hitter — will split time at first along with Romy Gonzalez. who bats right-handed.
Breslow said the team might be exploring a long-term replacement.
“This is unfortunately an opportunity to explore what’s available,” he said. “We’ll look both internally and outside as well.”
Cora said there are no plans to move Rafael Devers, who was replaced at third by offseason free-agent acquisition Alex Bregman and moved to DH.
“We asked him to do something in spring training that in the beginning he didn’t agree with it and now he’s very comfortable doing what he’s doing,” Cora said. “Like I told you guys in spring training, he’s my DH.”
TORONTO — Cleveland Guardians star Jose Ramirez was back in the lineup for Sunday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays, two days after the third baseman left in the third inning because of a mild right ankle sprain.
The six-time All-Star was injured when he stumbled and fell while crossing first base on an infield single. Ramirez went down after being struck in the back by a throw from Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt.
Ramirez was batting third Sunday against right-hander Bowden Francis.
Ramírez sat out Saturday when Cleveland beat Toronto 5-3. He went 2 for 2 before departing Friday, boosting his average to .274. He has five home runs and 15 RBIs in 31 games.
In last Thursday’s 4-3 victory over Minnesota, Ramirez became the first primary third baseman to reach 250 homers and 250 stolen bases.
NEW YORK — Shortstop Anthony Volpe was not in the New York Yankees‘ starting lineup Sunday against the Tampa Bay Rays, a day after he injured his left shoulder on a dive while trying to get to a grounder.
“X-rays, MRI — good news,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “He’s sore today, but I feel like we’re probably in a good spot. We’ll see. Kind of day to day right now.”
Volpe remained in the game after his unsuccessful attempt for a backhand stab on Christopher Morel‘s eighth-inning single, which sparked a two-run rally in Tampa Bay’s 3-2 win Saturday.
Volpe said after the game he heard a pop in the shoulder.
“It’s a little unclear in there. He’s got some stuff that they feel like is older stuff, so hard to know exactly,” Boone said. “He’s definitely a little cranky in the shoulder today.”
Volpe, 24, is hitting .233 with five homers, 19 RBIs and four stolen bases in his third season with the Yankees.
Oswald Peraza was listed to start at shortstop, batting ninth.
New York already is missing second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (strained right oblique), third baseman DJ LeMahieu (strained left calf), ace Gerrit Cole (Tommy John surgery) and right-hander Luis Gil (right lat strain), the reigning AL Rookie of the Year.