Former MLB Exec Predicts Outrageous Shohei Ohtani Free Agent Contract

If the Los Angeles Angels don't trade Shohei Ohtani by the August 1st deadline, the two-way superstar will become the most sought-after free agent in baseball history. His next contract will be in a stratosphere never before seen in North American sports. 

And while total dollar figures like $500 million have been thrown around, former MLB general manager and team president David Samson has a very different and unique take on what might happen with Ohtani in free agency. 

He told Sportsnet 590 that a shorter-term, insanely-high high AAV deal might be the way to go for the 29-year-old:

Here's the problem: How many years will Ohtani want? Does he want the full 8-10 year deal where this is the final contract of his career? ... It's very unlikely he's gonna be a top of the rotation guy AND a middle of the order guy for eight straight years. 

But what about a team that would offer him $80 million a year for three years? Because you believe that you can actually get three years of him doing both. And you're willing to... not go long term, but blowing the average annual value out of the water by making him the highest-paid individual player per year that's ever existed. So what about giving him $240M for three years and letting him become a regular free agent again at 32 years old?

Samson actually believes that the Angels are the favorites to re-sign him, whether at that unique 'blow-it-out-of-water' AAV, or something else.

"This is going to be the most interesting free agent sweepstakes ever."

Ohtani is on pace for 56 home runs, currently sitting with 31, with a major league leading slugging of .650 and OPS of 1.033. And he has a 3.32 ERA with 11.6 K/9 and an insanely low .189 batting average against, in 100.1 innings. 

An $80M salary per year? With Ohtani, anything's possible. 

Photo: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports