Ohtani gets extension for 2023
Angels, two-way star agree on $30-million contract. Suarez flirts with a perfect game.
ANGELS 3, TEXAS 2
The Angels and two-way star Shohei Ohtani agreed to a one-year contract for next season worth $30 million, the team announced Saturday afternoon.
Ohtani was going to be eligible for salary arbitration after this season.
This deal means he and the Angels will avoid the process.
“Well deserved,” CAA’s Nez Balelo, Ohtani’s agent, said of the contract.
The reigning American League most valuable player will become a free agent after next season.
Angels general manager Perry Minasian was not immediately available for comment. Ohtani’s $30-million contract is a record for an arbitration-eligible player, a contract worth $3 million more than what Dodgers star Mookie Betts received from the Boston Red Sox in 2019 (one year, $27 million).
New York Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom’s 2019 arbitration contract featured a $9.6-million year-over-year raise, and Betts’ 2019 arbitration deal with the Red Sox included a $9.6-million raise. Ohtani’s contract gives him a raise of $24.5 million for next season, the largest year-to-year increase in major league history.
The Angels have about $103 million committed to next year’s payroll to Ohtani, Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon.
“We knew we were gonna have him back next year, but I think the comfort level going into the offseason for everybody involved, probably a good thing,” interim manager Phil Nevin said. “It’s not really my department. “Getting to manage him has been truly a pleasure and hopefully we get to stay together for a while.”
Suarez not perfect
José Suarez kept the Texas Rangers and the Angel Stadium crowd on their toes in his final start of the season.
On Saturday night, Suarez turned a seemingly meaningless October game into a career highlight, taking a perfect-game bid into the seventh inning.
That bid ended with leadoff batter Marcus Semien singling in the seventh on the Angels’ 3-2 victory, their sixth consecutive win.
“At first, I didn’t think about that or anything, just to finish this game strong and end the year strong,” Suarez said in Spanish. “I did notice they didn’t have any hits on me, but my mind was to get through seven innings because I made a bet with the pitching coach [Matt Wise] that I was going to pitch seven innings.”
Suarez said that although the bet was for $400, the intent was motivation to pitch well and deep into the game, something he has struggled to do through the season. Saturday’s game was the third time this season he has pitched into the seventh.
Semien hit Suarez’s first pitch, a changeup, into left field. The home crowd saluted Suarez’s efforts with a round of applause.
Suarez also gave up a two-run home run to Nathaniel Lowe before the top of the seventh was over, giving the Rangers a shortlived 2-1 lead.
The Angels scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to take a 3-2 lead. Livan Soto doubled to drive in Fletcher and later scored on a fielder’s choice by Matt Thaiss.
“It feels good helping the pitcher,” Soto said in Spanish. “Today it was José’s turn to pitch and he did an amazing job. I’m very happy to have helped him win today.”