The Japanese two-way star announced Friday he will sign with the Los Angeles Angels, ending the sweepstakes surrounding his move to the majors in a surprising destination.
Ohtani turned down interest from every other big-league club to join two-time MVP Mike Trout with the Angels, who are coming off their second consecutive losing season and haven’t won a playoff game since 2009.
But the Angels’ combination of a promising young core and a beautiful West Coast location clearly appealed to the 23-year-old Ohtani, who has confounded baseball experts at almost every step of his move to the majors.