Shohei Ohtani, the two-way MLB superstar, recently signed a historic $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, making it the most lucrative deal in North American sports history. The deal surpassed the previous record set by Ohtani’s former teammate, Mike Trout, at $426 million in 2019.
Notably, the San Francisco Giants were actively involved in the bidding for Ohtani during his free agency. Farhan Zaidi, the Giants’ president of baseball operations, confirmed that the team met with Ohtani and initially offered a deal that would have made him the highest-paid player in baseball history. After some negotiations, the Giants raised their offer to match the $700 million figure, expressing their willingness to finalize the deal.
However, Ohtani ultimately chose to remain in southern California, opting for a switch from the Los Angeles Angels to the Dodgers. The signing marks a significant moment in MLB history and solidifies Ohtani’s status as one of the sport’s premier talents.