A colleague working for the LA Angels got angry at the criticism directed at Shohei Ohtani, saying, “He is not worth $500 million (about 667 billion won).”

Stephen A. Smith, a commentator for ‘ESPN’ in the United States, recently made a resolute statement, saying, “Even with Ohtani on the team, the Angels couldn’t win and they couldn’t fill the stands,” and “Ohtani is not worth $500 million.”

Ohtani began his rise to full-fledged ‘stardom’ in 2021 by rewriting numerous major league records and being unanimously selected as the American League MVP. There was a lot of interest in Ohtani before, but due to Tommy John surgery, he was unable to perform properly as a ‘dual sword’ player, so although he was well-known, it was a bit disappointing to be called a ‘superstar’.

However, Ohtani, who won the American League MVP title in 2021, also appeared in 157 games as a batter in 2022, hitting 160 hits, 34 home runs, 95 RBIs, 90 runs, batting average of 0.273, OPS 0.875, and appearing in 28 games as a pitcher, playing 166 innings and winning 15 games. His ‘value’ soared through the roof as he recorded 9 losses and an ERA of 2.33, proving that his performance was not ‘sparkling’.

Otani’s value reached its peak last March. After leading the Japanese national team to victory in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) held prior to this season and being selected as the MVP of the tournament, local American media reported Ohtani’s estimated price rising from $400 million (approximately KRW 533.6 billion) to $100 million to $500 million. It was predicted to be 100 million dollars (approximately 667 billion won). And Ohtani’s performance stood out this season as he was about to become a free agent (FA).

Ohtani appeared in 135 games at the plate, with 151 hits, 44 home runs, 95 RBIs, 102 runs, a batting average of 0.304, and an OPS of 1.066. On the mound, he appeared in 23 games, struck out 167 in 132 innings, and went 10-5 with an ERA of 3.14. He is currently unable to play the rest of the season due to a ruptured right elbow ligament and is undergoing Tommy John surgery. However, even if he does not play in the remaining games, he has performed well enough to be named MVP and home run king.

Some local media predict that Ohtani’s value will fall significantly because he will not be able to stand on the mound as a pitcher until the 2025 season, while he can perform at the top of the major leagues at the plate, and if he returns as a pitcher, ‘replacement’ is impossible. There are some media outlets that believe that a large contract worth $400 million or $500 million will be possible as resources become available.

Although opinions differ, there is no doubt that if he can participate in the game with ‘dual swords’, the value of Ohtani, who has an extraordinary talent that cannot be compared, is the ‘best’ in the major league. However, recently, ‘ESPN’ commentator Stephen A. Smith poured sharp criticism towards Ohtani. Nothing Smith said was wrong.

Ohtani has worn the Angels’ uniform since the 2018 season, but has never made it to the postseason stage until this year. And despite having the ‘superstar’ Ohtani, the Angels were unable to fill a full crowd for each game. Just looking at the Angels’ games, the outfield was often empty.

However, controversy arose when he said, “It’s not worth $500 million.” Teammate Joe Adel did not tolerate this. On the 21st (Korean time), Adele took aim at Smith’s remarks and reacted sharply through social media, saying, “Ohtani is a player with that much value. Stephen A. Smith doesn’t know what he wants to say.” And on the 22nd, he did not hide his anger in interviews with the media.

Adell is a former ‘super prospect’ who was selected by the Angels with the 10th overall pick in the first round of the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft, and has been working with Ohtani in the big leagues since the 2020 season. Japan’s ‘Full Count’ reported, “Even before the Tampa Bay Race match, Adele was angry.”

According to ‘Full Count’, Adele said, “Ohtani is a player with a special talent. When talking about a player’s value, you have to think about how much he contributes to the world of baseball. Ohtani should be recognized as a man who changed the world of baseball. Stephen A. Smith “I wanted to let everyone know the value of Otani,” he said, explaining the reason for expressing his anger through social media.

Adele said, “I’ve never seen this kind of performance before, but I’ve gotten used to it and sometimes I’m mistaken. If you watch it every day, you expect to see his performance every inning. But it’s crazy that he’s doing so well. He’s pitching no more than 2 runs in 6 innings.” “He hit two home runs. I can’t believe it,” he said.

But the time for Otani and Adele to break up is getting closer. This is why Ohtani becomes a free agent at the end of the season. He could re-sign with the Angels, but the chances are slim. Nevertheless, Adele expressed her gratitude, saying, “I learn consistency from Ohtani. Angels players learn from the best player in the world of baseball.”

BY: 먹튀검증디비