Texas Rangers: Is Pursuing Shohei Ohtani The Right Move?

It’s no secret that the biggest player on the free agent market is Japanese star Shohei Ohtani. Is pursuing Ohtani the right move for the future of the Rangers organization?

Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels feels “very strongly” about what the team has to offer Shohei Ohtani, according to T.R. Sullivan. Texas has the money to go after the two-way star, but it’s not going to be cheap.

The Rangers have $3,535,000 in international bonus money which is the most of any organization. The New York Yankees are right behind them at $3.5 and both teams are heavily interested in Ohtani.

The team that Ohtani chooses will not only have to pay his contract, but will also pay the posting fee of $20 million to the Nippon Ham Fighters. Ohtani’s contract is not only to be cheap especially with the track record he has in Japan.

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In 403 games in Japan, Ohtani is hitting .286 with 48 home runs and 166 RBI and almost 300 career hits. On the mound in five seasons he’s 42-15 with a 2.52 ERA in 85 games (82 starts) with 624 strikeouts.

The 23-year-old Ohtani is looked upon as the next superstar player in Major League baseball. Whether or not his skills will translate over is unknown and a huge risk. Ohtani has made it known he wants to hit and pitch in the Majors.

The Rangers have the luxury of the designated hitter which gives them an advantage in the bidding. It’s sounding like the Seattle Mariners, Yankees, and Rangers are the main leaders in this Ohtani race.

No one knows how Ohtani will perform in the MLB and that’s a huge risk. Especially when you give a player an enormous deal like Ohtani will obtain. It’s a risky move, but one that GM Jon Daniels wants to take.

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The Rangers have been preparing for Ohtani since they tried to sign him out of high school. He could be the next face of the Rangers organization. The organization has done their homework and fans need to trust Daniels is making the right move in his pursuit.