Shohei Ohtani has no intention of getting out of his contract

Did you forget that Shohei Ohtani has a contract option?

The Japanese player, who is still under contract for a little over seven years, has a clause that is quite unique in Major League Baseball.

Basically, if Mark Walter (owner) or Andre Friedman (president of baseball operations) leaves the team, Ohtani can opt out of his contract.

He requested this clause because he bought into their vision. So he wanted to give himself the right to reassess his situation if those architects were ever to leave.

Why are we talking about this? Because Mark Walter's sale of the Lakers (NBA) has brought the topic back into the spotlight.

Reporters from The Athletic (Stephen Nesbitt and Sam Blum) have been digging into the story, interviewing people close to Ohtani about what might happen if the Dodgers were sold.

Note: This remains purely hypothetical. After all, the team's top brass has said the club isn't for sale, and there's no reason why Mr. Walter would let go of his cash cow right in the middle of the team's historic run.

And the bottom line is that even if the Dodgers were for sale, Ohtani wouldn't opt out of his contract with the Dodgers.

That makes sense. After all, why would he want to leave a place where he's happy?

Don't tell me it's to make more money. After all, he's the one who asked to have his contract deferred in full.

Ohtani isn't 100% healthy, he plays for the best team in the league, and his bosses have kept their promises: to use the deferred money from Shohei's contract to invest right now in a winning team.

I don't see why he'd leave, even if he had the chance.

• Max Scherzer is closing in on ninth place all-time in strikeouts.

• Blue Jays lose.

• Tony Gonsolin in K.C.

• Great outing.

Created by humans, assisted by AI.