Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani is the main attraction wherever he goes.
People stay up late or lose sleep (depending on where they are) just to see him play.
He helped fill each and every stadium he played at in the World Baseball Classic.
He is popular among fans and is frequently followed around for pictures, autographs, or just a chat.
It’s the life of the most prominent, unique, and complete baseball player right now and perhaps in history.
On Monday, to start a new week, his Angels are visiting Fenway Park to play the Boston Red Sox.
Fans, of course, want to watch Ohtani’s moves and pitches.
Even warmup pitches will do!
“Somebody show John Henry and Chaim Bloom this video of thousands of Red Sox fans mobbing the visitors bullpen just to see Shohei Ohtani warm up,” fan Zach Christensen tweeted.
Somebody show John Henry and Chaim Bloom this video of thousands of Red Sox fans mobbing the visitors bullpen just to see Shohei Ohtani warm up pic.twitter.com/h1N3vwu7Po
— Zach Christensen (@ZaChristensen__) April 17, 2023
You can see the interest Ohtani generates in Boston.
What Christensen says is really interesting, because the Red Sox might be one of at least a dozen teams with serious intentions of pursuing Ohtani in the fall and winter should he hit the market.
That’s the expectation: unless the Angels somehow convince him to sign an extension, he will likely test the free agency waters, and deservedly so.
Ohtani might score a $500 million contract and, depending on the bidders, $600 million might be in play, too.
Henry, a businessman, can see the financial potential that having Ohtani on his roster can yield, and be inclined to be a serious bidder for him.
Uniform and merch sales, ticket sales, more people at the stadium, more people tuning in on the local networks broadcasting the games: Ohtani can, and will be, more than worth the investment.
NEXT:
Rain Ruins Shohei Ohtani’s Outing On Monday
