Former Los Angeles Angels manager Joe Maddon says the team’s star pitcher Shohei Ohtani deserves two salaries.
Ohtani is considered one of the best two-way players in Major League Baseball, meaning he can pitch and hit well. According to Sports Illustrated, during a recent interview on the Dan Patrick Show, Maddon was recently asked whether Ohtani’s unique skill set meant that he should be paid two salaries.
“You have to,” Maddon said in response, according to Sports Illustrated. “I mean this is two players. It really is. I mean it’s unique to negotiate or evaluate a Shohei Ohtani. He’s not one dude. You look at his pitching record and look what he did at the plate offensively…his pitching keeps getting better. I witnessed it personally. Offensively it’s been really good the last couple years.”
Ohtani signed a one-year $30 million contract with the Angels at the beginning of October. It was the most significant single-year salary for an arbitration-eligible player.
The Japanese superstar will be a free agent in 2023. Sportsbetting sites have already begun speculating about where he will end up.
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