Ohtani signs one-year, $30-million deal with Angels to avoid arbitration
The contract given to Ohtani, who was named the American League's Most Valuable Player in 2021 after an awe-inspiring season in which he excelled as both a hitter and pitcher, is the largest given to an arbitration-eligible player.
Ohtani, who is likely to have one more start for the Angels in the 2022 regular season, had another solid campaign this year and is in a race with New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge for AL MVP honors and also in the conversation for the AL Cy Young Award given to the best pitcher.
The 28-year-old Ohtani, who took a no-hitter into the eighth inning against Oakland on Thursday, has compiled a 15-8 record this year as a pitcher with a 2.35 ERA and 213 strikeouts.
As a hitter, Ohtani is fourth in the AL with 34 home runs and seventh with 94 RBI.
