CHICAGO — The number will follow Shohei Ohtani until it is over. No, not Ohtani’s home runs or strikeouts or any of his magnificent numbers from the field. Nothing like that.
It’s all about how much. As in how much will his next contract be worth.
Ohtani is among several players going into their final seasons before they are eligible for free agency.
There is still time for signatures and press conferences before opening day, but history shows a new contract becomes less likely once the real games begin.
There is no real precedent for placing a value on Ohtani’s remarkable skills, especially after baseball’s epic offseason spending spree. And that doesn’t factor in the potential business opportunities that go along with the majors’ only truly global star.
Ohtani hit .273 with 34 homers and 95 RBIs last season in his fifth year with the Los Angeles Angels. The 2021 AL MVP also went 15-9 with a 2.33 ERA in 28 starts on the mound.
He prepared for this season by leading Japan to the World Baseball Classic championship, striking out fellow Angels star Mike Trout for the final out in a 3-2 victory over the United States in the final.
Ohtani, who turns 29 in July, could set multiple records with his next contract, likely in the neighborhood of a $45 million average annual value and quite possibly reaching $500 million in total.
If the Angels drop out of contention in the rough-and-tumble AL West, Ohtani likely becomes the top name on the trade market this summer. If the Angels are in the mix for the playoffs, the pressure builds on the team to get something done before possibly losing Ohtani in free agency for nothing more than a compensatory draft pick.
So yeah, definitely high stakes with Ohtani and the Angels.
Here is a closer look at five more players eligible for free agency after this season:
RHP AARON NOLA, PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Nola, who turns 30 in June, went 11-13 with a 3.25 ERA in 32 starts for Philadelphia last year.
He also had a career-best 235 strikeouts in 205 innings for the NL champions.
Nola was selected by the Phillies with the seventh overall pick in the 2014 amateur draft.
There were extension talks during spring training, but it didn’t work out.
“We are very open-minded to trying to sign him at the end of the season,” President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski said.
“We’re hopeful that he’ll remain a Phillie for a long time.”
3B MATT CHAPMAN, TORONTO BLUE JAYS
Chapman hit 36 homers and drove in 91 runs for Oakland in 2019. He hasn’t been able to duplicate that production, but the three-time Gold Glover finished with 27 homers and 76 RBIs in 155 games last year in his first season with Toronto.
Chapman turns 30 on April 28. Long one of the game’s top fielding third basemen, he is represented by Scott Boras, who generally takes his clients to free agency.
OF TEOSCAR HERNÁNDEZ, SEATTLE MARINERS
Hernández was acquired in a November trade with Toronto. He hit .267 with 25 homers and 77 RBIs in his final year with the Blue Jays. He was terrific in 2021, batting .296 with 32 homers, 116 RBIs and a .870 OPS.