Now that I think about it, Ohtani's $700 million deal was actually a bargain.

Picked comments (excerpted from 174)

• u/Freak_Tractor▲ 567

  “今さら考えたら”？去年の時点で明らかだったろ。そもそも翔平がエンゼルスに戻る確率はゼロ。エンゼルスが“同額提示でマッチ”したところで、ドジャースが5千万ドル上乗せして終わりだったわ。モレノを擁護する気はないが、翔平が戻らないのは最初からハッキリしてた

  Now that you think about it? This was obvious last year. There was also a 0 % chance Shohei was going back to the Angels. Their chance to "match" the offer meant the Dodgers would simply increase by 50M or whatever. I'm not defending Moreno, but it was clear that Shohei was never going back.

• u/gilliganian83▲ 32

  それは違う。エンゼルスがオファーにマッチしてたら翔平は戻ってたって本人が言ってた。でもマッチしたくなかったのは金額だけじゃなく“勝つための本気度”もなんだよ

  That's wrong. If the angels would have matched the offer, Shohei said he would have gone back to the angels. But it's not just the money they didn't want to match, it was also the commitment to winning they didn't want to match.

• u/Illustrious_Bid_5484▲ 23

  エンゼルスファンとしてマジでそれ。勝ちにこだわるドジャースと推しの大谷を応援するわ。アート・モレノは○ね

  Fax as an angels fan. I support the dodgers and my favorite player ohtani for wanting to win. Fuck arte Moreno

• u/hipthrusts1▲ 135

  大谷の決断には、(1)エンゼルスが火の車だった点と、(2)DH制がナ・リーグにも拡大した点もあると思う。DH制がなければ、MLB移籍時にドジャースが獲ってたとは思えない。そうじゃなきゃ大谷は別のア・リーグの球団、たぶんジェイズかヤンキースあたりにいたんじゃないかな

  Well I think part of Ohtanis decision was also based on 1) the fact that the Angels are a dumpster fire and 2) the fact that the DH rule was expanded to the NL. If it werent for the DH rule I am confident the Dodgers would have signed Ohtani when he crossed over to the MLB. Otherwise I think we'd see Ohtani in some other AL team, quite possibly the Jays or the Yanks.

• u/Putrid_Front865▲ 79

  記憶だと、最初のドジャースとの面談で最大の引っかかりは『打撃に専念しろ』って説得されたことだった。エンゼルスは二刀流をやらせる気だったからな。で、大谷が実証してみせた後、ドジャースは（後払いの）現金輸送車をバックで横付けしたわけだ

  If I recall, the major sticking point in Ohtani's original meeting with the Dodgers was them trying to convince him to stick to hitting. The Angels were willing to let him play both sides. Then, once he proved himself, the Dodgers backed up the (deferred) Brinks truck.

• u/Alcheleusis▲ 15

  久々に野球に戻ってきたんだけどここが分からん。DHがない方が大谷の価値って上がるんじゃないの？打席で穴にならない投手って超デカい気がするんだけど。誰か理由を教えてくれ

  Getting back into baseball after a long time, and I don't really understand this. Wouldn't Ohtani be even more valuable without a DH? Seems like it would be huge to not have a pitcher that's a liability at the plate. Could someone please explain to me why?

• u/stairway2evan▲ 45

  問題は、DHがないと毎日は出られないこと。DH制なら週イチで投げて、他の日はDHで打てる。ナ・リーグ（旧ルール）だと、投げる日以外は守備位置に就かなきゃいけない＝故障リスクも上がる。ユニバーサルDH＋“大谷ルール”があったからこそ、最大効率でどこでも出られるようになったんだ

  The issue is that Ohtani wouldn't have been able to play every day. With the DH rule, he could pitch once a week and DH on other games. In the NL, he would have had to pitch one day and play a field position the rest of the time. That's an increased chance of injury. Universal DH plus the Ohtani rule gave him the chance to play anywhere at max effectiveness.

• u/donutello2000▲ 8

  大谷はシアトルでプレーしたかったけど、移籍1年目がイチローの引退年と重なるから『失礼にあたる』って感じたらしい

  He wanted to play for Seattle but his first year would have been Ichiro's farewell year and he felt it would be disrespectful.

• u/HotSauce2910▲ 5

  え、そんなに惜しかったの？😔 まあウチのオーナーはどうせケチで無理だったって自分を慰めとくわ

  So we were that close? 😔 At least I can cope that our ownership is too cheap for it anyway

• u/TCNW▲ 58

  彼の契約は実は7億ドルじゃない。後払い分を補正すると実質5億ドルくらい。しかも残り期間ずっと凡庸でも、最初の2年が凄すぎてもう契約のほとんどは元を取ってる。額のデカさに反して、これは史上最高の契約として歴史に残るかもしれん

  His contract wasn't really 700m. It was more like 500m when you correct for the deferred money. And yes, even if he's very mediocre for the rest of his contract, the first 2 years have been so incredible that he's virtually earned most of his contract already. Despite its size, this could possibly go down as the greatest contract a team's ever signed.

• u/IamKingofKings13▲ 15

  もう一歩踏み込むわ。残り全部が“平均以下のシーズン”でも、もう元は取れてる。この2年で球団史上“文字通り”最高の時代をもたらしたんだから。あとは何が起きても全部オマケだよ

  I'd go a step further. If Ohtani is never able to even post an average season the rest of the way through, it's already worth it. These 2 years brought the organization to, literally, its greatest era of all time. Whatever else happens is already gravy.

• u/kmad71▲ 3

  そりゃバーゲンに決まってる！ドジャースは2033年まで年俸たった200万ドルしか払ってない。残り6億8千万ドルも一括じゃなく、2043年まで9年かけて、しかも無利子で払うんだぞ！

  Of course, it was a bargain! The Dodgers are only paying him $2M per year through 2033. Then, the remaining $680M isn't paid out in a lump sum. They will pay out over 9 years until 2043 with NO interest!

• u/memeshiftedwake▲ 196

  ドジャースは“野球というビジネス”を分かってる。他のオーナーは投資物件の上にあぐらをかいて、独占禁止の適用除外の恩恵を享受するオーナー・カルテルに属して、最後に売り抜けたいだけ。勝利なんてどうでもいい。実際、買った額より安く売れた球団なんて一つもないからな

  The Dodgers understand the business of baseball. Other owners just want to sit on an investment, belong to an ownership cartel that enjoys the benefits of an anti-trust exemption and eventually cash out. Winning be damned. No team has ever sold for less than it was purchased for.

• u/SnoozeButtonBen▲ 60

  ドジャースのオーナーは金より勝利が好きなんだ。どの球団のファンも同じことを要求すべきだよ

  Dodgers ownership likes winning more than they like money. Every team's fans should demand the same.

• u/WasabiParty4285▲ 47

  いや、奴らは何より金が好きだよ。ただ“負けるより勝つ方が儲かる”と気づいただけ。2025年はドジャースタジアム史上最高の観客動員。しかも'24年に71%、'25年に12%値上げした後でだ。そのうえ日本企業との新しい広告契約が、大谷の“後払いしてない分”の契約を100%カバーしてる。球団価値は13年前の買収時から55億ドル（3倍超）増えたと推定されてる

  Naw, they like money more than anything. They just have realized that winning earns them more money than losing. 2025 was the highest attendance ever for dodger stadium and that was after they raised prices 71% in '24 and 12% in '25. That's before we even get into the new advertising relationship with Japanese companies that is paying 100% of Ohtani undeferred contract. The franchise is estimated to have grown 5.5 billion (more than triple) since they bought it 13 years ago.

• u/Thorlolita▲ 47

  もう元が取れてる。大谷の影響力が山本や佐々木を引き寄せてる。これからもっと日本人スターを呼び込むだろうな

  It's paying for itself. His influence is bringing in Yamamoto and Sasaki. It will probably bring in more of the Japanese stars.

• u/V-Right_In_2-V▲ 28

  今季で分かったのは、日本が一流の才能を量産してて、日本リーグの精鋭を軸にチームを作れば優勝できるってこと。しかも一人いれば他も口説きやすくなる。各球団が日本を“根こそぎ獲りに行く”波が始まっても驚かんわ

  This season has shown that Japan is producing elite talent, and you can build your team around the cream of the crop from the Japanese league and win championships. And once you have one guy, it's easier to recruit others. I wouldn't be surprised if this starts a wave of teams trying to raid Japan for everything they can get their hands on.

• u/allbusiness512▲ 24

  笑えるわ、日本はずっと昔から野球が強いんだよ。みんなイチローが存在しなかったみたいな反応すんなって

  It makes me laugh, Japan has been so good at baseball for so long. People acting like Ichiro didn't exist or something.

• u/luckyman562▲ 11

  野茂、斎藤、イチロー、前田、松井、黒田…大谷より前にこれだけいたんだぞ…

  Nomo, Saito, Ichiro, Maeda, Matsui, Kuroda all before Ohtani....

• u/Certain-Object3028▲ 4

  彼は契約額に1セントの狂いもなく見合ってる。世界最高の野球選手だ。そのトロント・ブルージェイズが彼を“平凡”に見せた。考えてみろよ🤔

  He is worth every penny of his contract. The world's best baseball player. The Toronto Blue Jays made him look and average. Think about that 🤔

• u/Typical-Pension2283▲ 15

  大谷はOPS1.278、3本塁打、9四球、おまけに2試合登板してるんだぞ。勘違いするな、どこをどう見ても“平凡”じゃない

  Ohtani had OPS of 1.278 with 3 HRs and 9 BB, not to mention he pitched two games. Make no mistake, he did not look average whatsoever.

• u/memeshiftedwake▲ 17

  ジェイズは今年とんでもなく良いチームだった。歴史的打線を封じる術まで編み出した。みんなジェイズの強さを過小評価しないでほしいわ

  The Jays were an incredibly good team this year. They also figured out how to shut a generational lineup down. I hope people don't overlook how good the Jays were.

• u/crujiente69▲ 1

  他のオーナーはなんでもっと金を持ってないの？バカなの？

  Why dont the other owners just have more money? Are they dumb?

• u/Cylindrical_Jester▲ 6

  ああ、バカだよ。世の中ひどいオーナーだらけだ

  Yep. They're dumb alright. So many awful owners out there

• u/DesperateSouthPark▲ 2

  （スレ主）でもさ、当時のRedditには『トミー・ジョン手術を2回もやった選手に7億ドルは高すぎる』って意見が結構あったんだよ。バーゲンだなんてコメントはそんなに見なかった記憶があるんだが

  But back then, there were quite a few opinions on Reddit saying that $700 million was too much for a player who had already undergone Tommy John surgery twice. I don't remember seeing many comments saying it was a bargain.

• u/Nickk_Jones▲ 5

  7億“万件”の主要メディア記事・ポッドキャスト・番組コーナー・Redditスレが出揃って、おまけに俺も“ちょっと考えてみた”結果——大谷は値段に見合うかもしれないって思えてきたよ！

  Now that there have been 700 million mainstream articles, podcasts, show segments and Reddit posts, OH and me thinking about it - I think Ohtani may be worth it!