21st about the thoughts of each club’s frontrunners on recruiting Ohtani. All were anonymized because club officials could not comment on certain FA players.

Ohtani has many variables. He injured his elbow ligament at the end of last season and underwent surgery to treat it. For now, he will not be able to play as a pitcher in 2024. Since he underwent Tommy John surgery for the second time in five years, there is no guarantee that he will be able to play as a pitcher again.

Nevertheless, Ohtani is enjoying explosive popularity. Local media are predicting a massive contract worth $400 million to $600 million.

The Athletic said clubs are paying attention to Ohtani’s “star power.”

An American League club executive compared Ohtani to Messi, saying, “It’s like Miami recruited Messi.”

Lionel Messi, who led Argentina to the World Cup victory at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, left Paris Saint-Germain in July and moved to MLS Inter Miami.

The contract period was two-and-a-half years and a half, with an annual salary of $50 million to $60 million.

Miami, which had the most sluggish box office performance in MLS by playing at a temporary stadium before Messi joined, became a completely different team with Messi joining. They will move their home stadium to Miami Freedom Park, which cost $1 billion in 2025.

Another executive said Ohtani’s recruitment “will have a tremendous halo effect on the brand,” and talked about the effects of Ohtani’s recruitment.

The Athletic explained that the slowly changing Major League broadcasting environment could also affect it.

The Major League Baseball relay system, which is currently based on local cable networks, is facing a crisis due to a decrease in the number of cable subscribers. The crisis is becoming a reality as Diamond Sports Group, which was responsible for broadcasting 11 out of 30 teams, filed for bankruptcy. As a solution to overcome this crisis, a way for the club to produce broadcasts directly and serve fans through online streaming is being suggested.

If the club produces and sells broadcasts directly, the need for “star power” to attract fans becomes more urgent. Ohtani is one of the few stars whose “star power” has been verified in the Major League Baseball.

The Athletic noted that it has something to do with the fact that teams that have to solve the broadcasting rights issue due to the bankruptcy of the Diamond Group, including the Texas Rangers and the Los Angeles Angels, are active in recruiting Ohtani. 토토사이트

The stadium’s advertising revenue, which will follow Ohtani, is also a factor that cannot be ignored. It is reported that the Angels earned additional profits from stadium advertisements by recruiting Ohtani.

It did not disclose the exact amount. ESPN introduced it as “low tens of millions of dollars,” while Forbes counted it as “at least $35 million.”

It is unlikely that the winner of the recruitment battle for Ohtani will be revealed easily. An American League club executive said, “It’s more likely to flow slower than people think. There are still many things to answer,” he predicted.

Ohtani has been silent for more than three months now without an interview. The Athletic said, “The clubs will want to meet him and know how desperately and how long they want him to be a pitcher,” explaining “what they have to answer.”