Japanese two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Angels on Friday, according to a statement from his agent, Nez Balelo of CAA Baseball.
“This morning, after a thorough, detailed process, Shohei Ohtani has decided to sign with the Los Angeles Angels. Shohei is humbled and flattered by all the time and effort that so many teams put into their presentations and sincerely thanks them for their professionalism. In the end, he felt a strong connection with the Angels and believes they can best help him reach his goals in Major League Baseball.
I want to thank the clubs and everyone else for respecting our intent to make this very important process as private as possible. We were resolved to having a fair, methodical process. Teams clearly put in a lot of work, and we are grateful for that. The past few weeks also further demonstrated Shohei’s incredible thoughtfulness, attention to detail and determination to make an informed decision. He read every page of every presentation and listened to every word in each meeting, and he was so impressed that it was not an easy choice. While there has been much speculation about what would drive Shohei’s decision, what mattered to him most wasn’t market size, time zone or league but that he felt a true bond with the Angels. He sees this as the best environment to develop and reach the next level and attain his career goals. More than ever, I believe this is not only a special talent but a man of special character, and like everyone else I’m excited to see him in Major League Baseball.”
This news brings an end to the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes.
The Angels recently add international slot money in a trade with the Minnesota Twins to help acquire the 23-year-old pitcher and slugger.
Los Angeles finished 80-82 and were in contention for a wild card spot for most of the 2017 season. Ohtani certainly will give the Angels a chance to contend and likely will be paired with the best player in baseball, Mike Trout for years to come.
Stay with Baseball Essential for more information and reaction to this news.
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