Shohei Otani plans on playing in the MLB in 2018 even though he would make more money by waiting two seasons.
“It tells you that he’s serious about wanting to play against the best possible competition,” one executive said. “He’s putting his money where his mouth is.”
One talent evaluator believes Otani might be worth $200 million if he was a free agent. But due to terms of the collective bargaining agreement executed by MLB and the players' association last fall, teams will be limited on what they can pay Otani. For example, the most the New York Yankees can offer is $3.25 million.
A big market team is expected to land Otani.
“We can all pick out the five or six teams that probably have a legitimate shot,” one official said.