What the Shohei Ohtani deal means for the other big names on the market

Shohei Ohtani was not the greatest domino of this baseball offseason. He was the Star Wars blockbuster, Taylor Swift live performance, Stranger Things finale that made us neglect there have been any dominos in the first place.

Ohtani fueled his personal sizzling range. He was a free agent so distinct — so on-the-field potent and in-the-culture vital — that any crew with cash might have justified signing him. Need? Who thinks about want with a participant like this? It’s like Jeopardy: Ohtani is the reply, and you determine the query later.

In this case: Who is the Los Angeles Dodgers’ new designated hitter?

On Saturday, Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700-million deal. It is, in fact, the largest contract in baseball historical past. There is just one Ohtani.

But can we curiosity you in a former MVP, a reigning Cy Young, or a Japanese ace?

Ohtani was, in fact, No. 1 on The Athletic’s big board of free agents, and No. 2, Aaron Nola, has additionally signed, however 22 of our high 25 free brokers stay out there, and the commerce market has barely budged. Now that Ohtani is off the market, baseball can settle into a much more typical offseason. These are 10 gamers who might see their markets lastly take form now {that a} baseball unicorn is now not blocking out the solar.

1. Yoshinobu Yamamoto

He’s now the greatest free agent in the world, and for some groups, he might need been the major goal all alongside. Yamamoto is a 25-year-old famous person. He’s simply by no means confirmed it in the big leagues. There is, in fact, some related threat, however due to his age, potential, and Japanese monitor document, some groups — perhaps even most groups — entered the offseason with Yamamoto as the top-ranked pitcher on the market. He’s not an icon on Ohtani’s degree, however for Major League groups excited by branding past North America, Yamamoto carries a few of the identical worldwide enchantment. And, like Ohtani, solely the deepest pockets are going to have a shot. Teams on the periphery of the Ohtani chase like the Mets, Yankees and Red Sox have seemingly been arduous after Yamamoto this whole time, and so they might now be dealing with redoubled competitors from the groups who had been finalists for Ohtani.

2. Cody Bellinger

Ohtani did carry some limitations. He’s not prone to pitch subsequent season due to elbow surgical procedure, and so he’s just about restricted to designated hitter in the quick time period. The greatest all-around free agent place participant has at all times been Bellinger, who can play an excellent middle discipline, simply received his second Silver Slugger, and completed high 10 in MVP voting. He skilled an incredible bounce-back season simply in time to hit the open market as a 28-year-old. For any crew needing to juice its lineup with out Ohtani, Bellinger is the greatest wager on the open market.

3. J.D. Martinez

Other than Ohtani, Martinez has at all times been the greatest, most confirmed pure designated hitter on the free agent market. And now that groups with room so as to add a full-time DH — Blue Jays, Cubs, Red Sox, Giants, Mets, Rangers — have missed out on Ohtani, they will shift to the remainder of the market, which incorporates 36-year-old Martinez coming off a 134 OPS+ and one more All-Star choice with the Dodgers final season. For groups that want a DH who also can assist out in the discipline, the market opens up a bit.

4. The other designated hitters

Modern roster constructing values versatility, and whereas each crew now has a delegated hitter, only a few make use of a DH who can do solely that. So, for these groups in the market for a bat, however desire a DH who can do some extra, it’s time to type by way of the remainder of the Ohtani alternate options.

• Rhys Hoskins — For these groups betting on post-injury upside who’ve some first-base enjoying time additionally out there. 

• Mitch Garver — For these groups who might use assist at catcher and like a man who simply received a World Series.

• Jorge Soler — For groups excited by 30-homer pop and the potential to a minimum of sometimes play the outfield corners. See additionally: Teoscar Hernández.

• Justin Turner — For groups needing an occasional nook infielder however principally wanting a DH who, at 39, can nonetheless hit and transform a clubhouse.

• Brandon Belt — For groups particularly needing a left-handed hitter (like Ohtani), Belt is a soon-to-be 36-year-old who had an .890 OPS in opposition to righties final season.

5. Blake Snell

There is not any splashier offseason addition than Ohtani, and for groups that appear to be (or must be) in the market for star energy — we’re taking a look at you Giants, Red Sox, Cardinals, Cubs and Yankees — the reigning National League Cy Young would definitely transfer the needle. Snell is an uncommon pitching famous person as a result of he’s received a Cy Young twice, however these are the solely seasons during which he’s thrown as many 130 big-league innings. And even in these years he threw solely 180 and 180 2/3. He’s not precisely a workhorse, however when he’s wholesome, he’s a 31-year-old with a 3.20 profession ERA and sufficient strikeouts to make up for his excessive stroll totals. Snell is one among the few confirmed free agent stars nonetheless out there. 

6-7. Shota Imanaga, Jung Hoo Lee

On some degree, it’s absurd — even ignorant — to counsel that being from an identical space of the world makes gamers like Imanaga (a Japanese pitcher) and Lee (a Korean outfielder) cheap alternate options to Ohtani. But the truth is, some groups scout Japan and Korea extra aggressively than others. Some groups are extra snug projecting the leap from the NPB or the KBO to Major League Baseball. And some groups are higher positioned to take monetary benefit of such a global connection (consider the Mariners’ monitor document with Japanese gamers, or the Yankees’ worldwide model, or the Red Sox’s mixture of the two). It’s not arduous to think about a crew that turned obsessive about Ohtani a decade in the past turning into extra lately intrigued by Imanaga or Lee. 

8. Matt Chapman

Because Ohtani is a singular participant, it’s virtually not possible to pivot to somebody identical to him. Teams that misplaced out might need to go in a radically totally different path. Not each crew, for instance, would have a third-base opening for Chapman, however some will, and that’s the fascinating factor about the impression of Ohtani lastly coming off the board. As groups who stayed engaged now search for alternate options, we might see them scatter in a dozen totally different instructions. Some would possibly attempt to fortify their pitching, some would possibly attempt to add offense through the outfield, and a few would possibly go after simply the most impactful free-agent infielder on the market. Ohtani and Chapman are radically totally different, however for some groups, Chapman may be the most reasonable fallback plan. For the Blue Jays particularly, bringing again Chapman may be a logical subsequent step after falling quick on Ohtani and seeing third-base possibility Jeimer Candelario head to Cincinnati.   

Again, Ohtani is a singular participant, and groups engaged in his free company from any variety of angles. Some particularly wanted a hitter. Some favored the concept of placing him in the rotation subsequent 12 months. Some simply needed to get higher and chase a championship. As Ohtani pursuers shift gears and begin trying for other avenues to enhance, the commerce market might decide up steam. The greatest commerce chip (Soto) has already moved, however there are nonetheless some notable pitchers believed to be out there, and a few less-touted hitters — Jonathan India, perhaps? — might find yourself becoming if an Ohtani suitor decides to splurge elsewhere and take a lesser improve at DH.

(Top photograph of Bellinger: AP Photo / Matt York)