The Angels avoided salary arbitration with Shohei Ohtani on Monday, signing him to a two-year, $8.5 million contract with plans for him to contribute as a two-way player going forward.
Ohtani was the only Angels player eligible for arbitration not to reach agreement on a 2021 contract by the January 15 exchange date. Ohtani filed at $3.3 million while the Angels filed at $2.5 million. This year, Ohtani will earn $3 million in 2021 — slightly above the $2.9 million midpoint — per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register and Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, then $5.