Q&A: What’s next for Ohtani, MLB after Thursday’s charges?
On March 25, Shohei Ohtani stood before television cameras assembled at Dodger Stadium and said this about his longtime interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara: “Ippei has been stealing money from my account and has told lies.”
That same day, according to a federal criminal complaint filed Thursday, Ohtani granted consent for law enforcement officials to search his phone. The 37-page complaint, which charges Mizuhara with bank fraud, provided details that support what Ohtani said publicly.
On March 20, after
The Los Angeles Times first reported Ohtani’s representatives had accused Mizuhara of “massive theft” by using the the player’s money to pay off Mizuhara’s gambling debts, Mizuhara sent a message to his bookie.
“Have you seen the reports?” Mizuhara asked, according to the complaint.
“Yes, but that’s all bullshit. Obviously, you didn’t steal from him,” the bookie replied. “I understand it’s a cover job I totally get it.”
Mizuhara’s response: “Technically I did steal from him. it’s all over for me.”
What happens now between Ohtani and Major League Baseball?
On March 22, Major League Baseball announced an investigation into what it called “the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara.”
Mizuhara already had been fired by the Dodgers and, as such, would not need to cooperate with the league. The bookmaker involved also could not be compelled to cooperate with the league.
Depending on how
Mizuhara’s criminal proceedings play out, the league could interview Ohtani afterwards and decide whether any discipline would be warranted — or could drop the matter entirely. For now, the league waits.
Federal investigators said Thursday they are working with “other interested parties” but declined to say whether MLB was one of them.
Did MLB issue a statement?
Yes, and here it is:
“We are aware of the charges filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office against Mr. Mizuhara for bank fraud after a thorough federal investigation. According to that investigation, Shohei Ohtani is considered a victim of fraud and there is no evidence that he authorized betting with an illegal bookmaker. Further, the investigation did not find any betting on baseball by Mr. Mizuhara.
“Given the information disclosed today, and other information we have already collected, we will wait until resolution of the criminal proceeding to determine whether further investigation is warranted.”
Would there be any basis to discipline Ohtani?
Based on the complaint, and on the press conference that accompanied its filing, there would not appear to be any such grounds.
“Mr. Ohtani is considered a victim in this case,” U.S. Attorney E. Martin Estrada said.
Mizuhara lost $40 million on a total of about 19,000 bets between December 2021 and January 2024, according to the complaint. The records, the complaint said, “do not reflect any bets on baseball games.”
MGM, Draftkings and Fan Duel “found records and a history of gambling for Mizuhara, but found no records for (Ohtani).”
How did federal investigators access information from Mizuhara?
On March 21, as the Dodgers returned from their season-opening series in South Korea, federal agents “intercepted Mizuhara at the Los Angeles International Airport … and seized the Mizuhara phone,” according to the complaint.