Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani, who will hit the open market this coming offseason, was set to command a massive payday.
Being both a slugger and a hurler, Ohtani was going to be a historically expensive signing for any team.
While he’ll still command a big contract, things may have changed thanks to his recent elbow injury.
Ohtani left his start on Wednesday and was diagnosed with a UCL tear.
He will not pitch again this season and may require another Tommy John surgery.
On Twitter, Buster Olney of ESPN pointed out just how much this may change the trajectory of not only his free agency, but his career as a whole.
The context for Shohei Ohtani's baseball future has changed completely. There's just no way to know how much he'll pitch in the years ahead — and it may be that the pitching side of his forthcoming contract will need to include incentives based on starts/appearances.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) August 24, 2023
Olney notes that there is no way of knowing just how much Ohtani will pitch in the coming years.
He had Tommy John surgery in 2018 after his first UCL injury.
That injury cost him a chance to pitch in 2019, but he still remained in the Halos’ lineup on a daily basis.
Such will be the case for the rest of this season.
However, Olney also notes that in his upcoming contract, the pitching side may have to include various incentives based on starts and appearances.
He almost certainly will not get the type of contract he was originally expected to get, and this is bad news for his free agency.
With his UCL injury, it’s very likely he will not pitch in 2024.
And so, things may have changed drastically with Ohtani and how teams approach courting him in free agency over the winter.
NEXT: MLB World Reacts To Crushing Shohei Ohtani News
