Whenever this ends, however this ends, the explanation for Shohei Ohtani’s record contract won’t simply be “he’s good at baseball.”
Ohtani, 29, is more than that, a cultural phenomenon that transcends the game, a sports version of Taylor Swift or, at the very least, Lionel Messi. Maybe his free agency is just a ruse, a leverage game to get the most money out of the team of his choice — say, the Dodgers. But every team involved in the bidding surely imagines that the two-way Japanese superstar will spark a marketing bonanza, a transformational opportunity for its brand. With Ohtani’s pitching future unknown, the business aspect will be at least part of the reason he’s likely to land a record deal.
“This guy’s economic clout is unbelievable,” said one league source, who was granted anonymity in exchange for his candor. “The sophisticated billionaires who run these teams understand that they’re going to get a great ROI (return on investment) regardless.”
Major market baseball franchises are no longer quirky family businesses, not that they ever were. The Dodgers, Yankees and Red Sox, in particular, are global brands that are expanding their reach internationally by buying stakes in European soccer clubs. The Red Sox are also investing heavily in developing the area around their stadium, mirroring the Cubs, Giants, Braves and Cardinals, who have embarked on similar projects to create sources of revenue outside of baseball.
Ohtani hasn’t provided much of a boost to attendance for the Angels, who in his six seasons have averaged just 163 more fans when he was the starting pitcher at home than when he wasn’t, according to STATS Perform. The team topped 3 million home visitors every season from 2003 to 2019. But in the last two seasons played without restrictions stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Angels’ home attendance totals were 2.5 million and 2.6 million, respectively.
Such numbers aren’t necessarily surprising considering the Angels are coming off their eighth straight losing season and last made the playoffs in 2014. Regardless, Ohtani has been a boon to the Angels’ business. Although the team did not disclose how much money it earned from Ohtani, ESPN estimated the annual number to be in the “low tens of millions of dollars.” Signage from Japanese companies was evident at Angel Stadium. NHK, a Japanese television network, broadcast every Angels game last season until the team shut down Ohtani on Sept. 16
Better teams from busier markets than Orange County surely envision Ohtani having an even bigger impact on the bottom line. The Dodgers and Yankees, which routinely draw more than 3 million, can’t dramatically increase their attendance. However, Ohtani will provide added value through marketing, sponsorships and local radio and television ads, a “halo effect” on the brand.
The Mets are another interesting possibility as owner Steve Cohen tries to transform a piece of land next to Citi Field into an entertainment megaplex anchored by a casino. Ohtani, still in his prime, would fit into the Mets’ long-term building plan and catch the attention of the Yankees. Cohen has certainly weighed the opportunity and has yet to show any hesitation in expanding his vast wealth.
Here are four other clubs, all connected to Ohtani, who could see him as an economy engine as well as, ahem, a two-time unanimous MVP with enough baseball value to potentially justify an annual salary of at least $50 million.
San Francisco Giants
Perhaps no Ohtani suitor needs a bigger injection of star power. The Giants have only had one winning season since 2016. Their average home attendance of 30,866 last season ranked them 17th in the majors, the lowest in the Oracle Park era that began in 2000.
It’s true that parking around Oracle is prohibitively expensive for many, and San Francisco’s in-person workforce has shrunk significantly since the pandemic. But the Giants finished in the top four in attendance every year from 2011 through 2018, a stretch that began the season after they won the first of their three World Series titles. With a better, more entertaining product on the field, the numbers are sure to rise again. The last Giants 30-homer season was by Barry Bonds in 2004.
Enter Ohtani. If the Giants sign him, their fans will finally have recovered from the team fiddling with Aaron Judge last offseason and refusing to complete a deal with Carlos Correa due to physical issues. Ohtani’s arrival will not only boost attendance, but also drive interest in Mission Rock, a 28-acre mixed-use neighborhood the team developed south of Oracle Park.
Ohtani can’t transform the Giants on his own. After all those losing seasons with the Angels, he might prefer to join a team that is in a better position to win. But consider the pedigree. Mace. Bonds. Ohtani. Yes, the Giants could sell this.
Boston Red Sox
The team’s parent company, Fenway Sports Group, certainly seems to be aiming for global dominance.
FSG also owns Liverpool FC of the Premier League, the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL and RFK Racing of NASCAR; the home stadiums of the Red Sox and Liverpool; and 80 percent of the New England sports network.
As if that weren’t enough, the group is part of a consortium trying to become a PGA Tour partner. Oh, and it also counts LeBron James, an even bigger star than Ohtani, as a 1 percent owner.
As with the Yankees and Dodgers, Ohtani would only help the Red Sox presence so much. But he would restore magnetism to a franchise that, under its current ownership, previously employed Pedro Martinez, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, not to mention Mookie Betts. No other player currently available, neither Juan Soto nor Yoshinobu Yamamoto, would produce the same effect.
If Ohtani values his privacy as much as he seems to, it’s hard to imagine him choosing to play at the Boston Aquarium. It’s not that hard to imagine why the Red Sox would want him.
Chicago Cubs
Beginning around 2003, the Cubs formed a waiting list for season tickets at Wrigley Field. The roster disappeared this offseason. Season tickets are available. And Ohtani would be the Cubs’ biggest star since, well, Sammy Sosa — yes, bigger than any member of the club in 2016, which ended the team’s 108-year championship drought.
Ohtani’s impact as a television presence cannot be understated for the Cubs and any other team interested in him. The Cubs own an ownership stake in the Marquee Sports Network. Marquee last summer introduced a direct-to-consumer subscription product, giving market fans a new option to stream live games and programs. Such plans are the wave of the future. Who sells season tickets better than Ohtani?
Ohtani’s appeal could also be a financial multiplier for Wrigley Field and the surrounding neighborhood. Ricketts’ owners have long dreamed of turning Wrigley into a year-round destination, a baseball Disney World with concerts, football games, the works. The Winterland event currently taking place on the site is just one example. Ownership opened a DraftKings sportsbook at Wrigley this year and owns the Zachary Hotel across the street.
Ohtani at Wrigley would be a sensation. The party may never end.
Toronto Blue Jays
Jayce’s parent company, Rogers Communications, is Canada’s leading wireless, cable and media company. It also owns, along with Bell Canada, 75 percent of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, the parent company of the NHL’s Maple Leafs, NBA’s Raptors, CFL’s Argonauts and MLS’s Toronto FC.
Think of the benefits for Rodgers if he could make Ohtani the focus of advertising campaigns from Vancouver on Canada’s west coast to Halifax in the east. Here’s the thing about the Jays: They’re not just Toronto’s team. They are Canada’s team that commands the attention of the entire nation.
Earlier this month, a rival executive described the Jays as “sleepers” for Ohtani. Jays GM Ross Atkins, in a recent media availability, strongly outlined the franchise’s appeal to free agents, which includes a $300 million renovation of the Rogers Centre.
“We have an incredible opportunity here — the city, the country, the ownership support, the winning environment, the renovations that have happened, the involvement on so many levels to continue to build on something that is very strong,” Atkins said.
Atkins added that the Jays are one of the teams with “the ability to be nimble” financially. The question, of course, is how nimble, but ultimately the decision rests with Ohtani. If he signals that he wants to join a particular club in the big market, does anyone seriously think that club won’t come up with the money?
Of course the club would. It’s as much about business as it is about baseball. And with Ohtani, the potential return on investment is too great to ignore.
–AthleticChad Jennings, Jen McCaffrey, Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma contributed to this story.
(Top photo: Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
