Angels' Shohei Ohtani: Avoids two years of arbitration

Ohtani and the Angels avoided arbitration for this year and the next by agreeing to a two-year, $8.5 million contract Monday.

The agreement gives both sides stability for the near future, which could prove quite important given that Ohtani's outlook is rather uncertain. He's yet to truly establish himself as the two-way phenom he was billed as when he came over from Japan in 2018, as he was shut down from pitching just 10 starts into his rookie season and didn't throw at all the next year due to Tommy John surgery. A pair of awful outings on the mound to open 2020 made him just a hitter for the rest of the season, but that didn't go at all well as he struggled to a .190/.291/.366 line. If his struggles continue this year, he could look overpaid even at his modest salary, but if his breakout finally arrives he could wind up leaving quite a bit of money on the table.