Why Ohtani should be highest paid
ANGELS two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani doesn’t deserve the MVP (that is obviously Aaron Judge), but he should be baseball’s highest-paid player. And he should go for the gusto in arbitration to get what he should. Based on some wrong precedents he may not, but he deserves to blow past Mookie Betts’ arbitrationrecord $27 million.
Ohtani is the greatest two-way talent since Babe Ruth. He’s also allegedly bringing in $20 million-plus in extra revenue, and probably even raised the for-sale Angels’ franchise value. Plus, he’s MLB’s most underpaid player at $5.5 million.
Management sometimes uses a potential raise as a way to limit pay. And considering the biggest raise via arbitration is $9.6 million for Jacob deGrom, it’s possible they suggest Ohtani’s raise should be in range. But Ohtani only made so little because he signed a twoyear deal off an injury year, and it’s absurd to penalize him for being underpaid. Arbitration produces wacky results, but it should be the opposite; since he’s been a money machine for the team, the Angels should make it up to him.
The union generally does well for players via arbitration but has missed an opportunity on fifth-year stars, who by rules are allowed to use free agents as comps. Only a couple, including Francisco Rodriguez and Jack McDowell, tried to invoke that rule; both lost their cases. But neither is Ohtani.
Agents often play the final arbitration year conservatively as they may fear an arbitration defeat would trigger a feeding frenzy for rival agents. Gerrit Cole is one who gambled at a hearing and won as a fifth-year guy, and he got a $13.5 million “win,” which was still proven less than half his yearly value when he really won the next year with a $324 million, nine-year deal via free agency.
Trea Turner received $23 million via arbitration when Corey Seager, the player he replaced, received $32.5 million as a free agent (for 10 years!). Aaron Judge got $19 million. Those were considered decent outcomes, yet they’re vastly underpaid.
Management understandably expects Ohtani to follow precedent and move to $20 million or so, continuing the trend of underpaid fifth-year arb guys. But Ohtani is unique. Kris Bryant got $18.6 million as a fifth-year player and Jake Arrieta $15.5 million; Ohtani deserves their pay combined — $34.1 million. Even then, he’s underpaid. Add marketing value, and the true number is $50 million, or more.