Angels two-hitter Shohei Ohtani heads to the dugout after pitching in the second inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Angel Stadium on July 21. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
When the Dodgers were preserving Shohei this year, something unexpected happened. They ran away with the National League West . They may not have the starting pitcher to win the World Series, but they could clinch their 10th district championship in 11 years as early as this weekend.
The Dodgers didn't needShohei Ohtanito make the playoffs, and they won't need him next season either.
That is why the Dodgers are the most logical destination for Ohtani, who will be a free agent this winter.
They will not overburden him like the Angelsor many other teams. The Dodgers can provide him with the expertise he needs to return to the mound and the environment he needs to remain on the field upon his return. It would also provide a career-defining challenge for the Dodgers, who are looking to rewrite their history of postseason failures.
Ohtani has a torn ulnar collateral ligamentand is unlikely to pitch next year,but the Dodgers have maintained interest in pursuing him this offseason, according to a person familiar with the team's thinking who spoke under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the subject.
The 29-year-old has been coy about what he is looking for in free agency, but his agent said last week that playing two games again is a top priority. The Dodgers can make that happen, and they are in a clear position to do so without compromising their October ambitions.
None of this guarantees that Ohtani will choose the Dodgers. One baseball insider jokingly said that given Ohtani's individualistic nature, this column could be the "kiss of death" for the Dodgers. Would a player who has spent his career defying convention sign with a team that everyone says he should pick?
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