Japanese star pitcher/outfielder Shohei Ohtani has signed with the Los Angeles Angels, according to his agent (via Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
1/Statement from Ohtani agent Nez Balelo if CAA:
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) December 8, 2017
“This morning, after a thorough, detailed process, Shohei Ohtani has decided to sign with the Los Angeles Angels. Shohei is humbled and flattered by all the time and effort that so many teams put into their presentations
2/and sincerely thanks them for their professionalism. In the end, he felt a strong connection with the Angels and believes they can best help him reach his goals in Major League Baseball.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) December 8, 2017
“I want to thank the clubs and everyone else for respecting our intent to make this
very important process as private as possible. We were resolved to having a fair, methodical process. Teams clearly put in a lot of work, and we are grateful for that.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) December 8, 2017
The 23-year-old was posted by the Pacific League's Nippon Ham Fighters for the maximum $20 million fee.
Ohtani picked the Angels over the Dodgers, Padres, Giants, Mariners, Rangers, and Cubs, all of whom he met with this week.
Angels Fans - Download Chat Sports on iPhone today for breaking news, rumors, scores and more - Chat Sports iPhone App!
Ohtani hopes to both pitch and be an everyday position player in the majors, which the Angels are expected to allow him to do. He is 41-15 with a 2.56 ERA in his career as a pitcher in Japan, but also has a .332/.403/.540 batting line with eight home runs and 35 RBIs in 65 games this season despite being limited with foot injuries.
Follow our Los Angeles Angels news page for all the latest Angels news!
Back to the Los Angeles Angels Newsfeed