`SUPER HAPPY'

Socal native Glasnow excited to join Dodgers, concedes criticism over inability to stay healthy `fair'

Tyler Glasnow already saw the Dodgers as his “dream team” with the prospect of coming back to play in his native Southern California for the team he grew up following as “the best possible scenario.”

Then he got a video message from Shohei Ohtani.

“I think when I heard about the Dodgers (possibly trading for him), I called a lot of people who played in the organization and asked a lot of questions. I’ve only heard positive things,” said Glasnow, a Newhall native and Santa Clarita Hart High alumnus. “Then Shohei sent me the video and it was awesome.

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“He just said he wants me to come on the team and he hopes to hit some home runs for me and join me on the pitching staff the following year. It was an awesome video . ... Just what he’s able to do on a baseball field is nothing short of insanity. It was cool and definitely added a lot of points for me to go to the Dodgers. So I think his recruitment worked.”

Ohtani, who agreed to his own recordbreaking $700 million, 10-year contract earlier this month, won’t be a two-way player next season after undergoing elbow surgery. Instead, he’ll be the Dodgers’ designated hitter.

“I just want to pick his brain and know what he’s learned,” Glasnow said. “He just seems like such a cool dude and probably one of the best baseball players to ever live. I want to be on a field with that guy.”

The trade between the Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays was contingent on Glasnow agreeing to a contract extension with the Dodgers. They worked out a new contract that will pay Glasnow $25 million in 2024, $30 million each of the next three seasons and potentially another $30 million in 2028 (it’s a team option with a player option for $21.5 million if the Dodgers don’t exercise it).

The deal done, the Dodgers sent righthander Ryan Pepiot and outfielder Jonny Deluca to Tampa for Glasnow and outfielder Manuel Margot.

Sacrificing the chance to cash in even more