The Los Angeles Dodgers certainly wouldn't have made the decision to pay $700 million to Shohei Ohtani without being sure that the Japanese phenom could play both at bat and on the mound in the future.
“I guarantee you that his health has been one of the most scrutinized,” commented renowned doctor Neal ElAttrache, who performed the operation, in an interview published Thursday by the Los Angeles Times.
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Since he did not attend Thursday's busy press conference in California, the man who works with the Dodgers, but also with many stars of the NBA and NFL, was cleared of any questions that should clarify whether Ohtani will one day manage a relaunch. Still, he pointed out to the LA Times that the odds are excellent, which explains why the Dodgers, like several other teams, were willing to give Ohtani more than half a billion.
“It's not that I doubt the importance of the day, it's a fantastic day for the Dodgers and for Los Angeles, but there are things I have to do,” ElAttrache explained of his absence, citing his very busy schedule Appointment calendar.
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Speaking to reporters, Ohtani openly suggested that he was not a doctor and could not confirm that the surgery he underwent in September was actually a second Tommy John surgery for him (after the one in 2018).
Based on the recommendations of various experts, including ElAttrache, the Dodgers will have concluded that the risk was worth it.
And now Yamamoto…
After Ohtani, attention also turns to Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is also being courted by the Dodgers. The California team just released its new $700 million man to seduce the coveted pitcher of the Buffaloes, a team from Osaka, Japan. Yamamoto visited Dodger Stadium on Tuesday and Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman were on hand.
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Ohtani and Yamamoto played together at the 2023 World Classic and won the prestigious tournament. Another Dodgers press conference could come soon. In Yamamoto's case, it is believed that he could sign a contract worth close to $200 million. Negotiations between the Japanese Artillery Clan and the various major baseball clubs may continue until January 4th.