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Baseball star Shohei Ohtani
Photo: ADAM DAVIS / EPA
Superstar Shohei Ohtani joins the Los Angeles Dodgers for the biggest contract in Major League Baseball MLB history. The Japanese confirmed this on social media on Saturday, according to media reports, the deal will run for ten years and be worth 700 million US dollars.
"I have decided to choose the Dodgers as my next team," Ohtani, whose contract with the Los Angeles Angels expires, wrote on Instagram after weeks of speculation about his future. The Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants are also said to have been involved in the bidding for the 29-year-old.
Ohtani has taken Major League Baseball by storm since joining the Angels in 2018. His trademark: The Asian has extraordinary skills in both pitching and batting, which have long since earned him comparisons to the American baseball icon Babe Ruth.
"To all the fans and everyone involved in the baseball world, I apologize for taking me so long to make a decision," Ohtani wrote, "I promise to always do the best for the team and continue to do everything I can to be the best version of myself." Until the last day of his playing career, he wants to lead the way "not only for the Dodgers, but for the baseball world."
Ohtani suffered a torn ligament in his right arm in the summer and had to abandon the season due to injury. Nevertheless, he was named the American League's Most Valuable Player ("MVP"), making him the first player to receive this award twice by unanimous decision. The Angels missed the playoffs and thus played no role in the fight for the World Series.
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