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The Los Angeles Angels and two-way player Shohei Ohtani agreed on a two-year, $8.5 million contract on Monday, a deal that provided both sides with cost certainty for two of Ohtani's three remaining arbitration years. Ohtani and the Angels exchanged arbitration figures in January and the midway point was $2.9 million. The agreement, which avoids the need for a hearing, will pay Ohtani $3 million for his first arbitration year in 2021 and $5.5 million for his second in 2022. The pitcher and designated hitter from Japan will be arbitration-eligible again in 2023 before being scheduled for free agency. Ohtani has only truly performed as a two-way player for the first two months of 2018 -- a stretch that preceded the torn ulnar collateral ligament that kept him from pitching for most of the next two years -- but first-year Angels general manager Perry Minasian said he will have "every opportunity" to resume that role in 2021. The wide spectrum for his upcoming contributions made it tricky for Minasian and Ohtani's agent, Nez Balelo, to establish a reasonable salary figure for 2022. "It was very difficult," Minasian said. "But I think that's where relationships come into play and communication comes into play, having an understanding of what the other side is looking at, and for ourselves, just kind of working together, both sides, coming to an agreement. It's a different type of player. There's not a lot of people that can do what this guy can do on a baseball field. For us to be able to come to a two-year agreement made a lot of sense." Ohtani, 26, was the American League Rookie of the Year in 2018, providing a .925 OPS in 367 plate appearances and a 3.31 ERA in 51⅔ innings. He spent the 2019 season recovering from Tommy John surgery but batted .286/.343/.505 as the Angels' primary DH. But he struggled during the shortened 2020 season, batting .190/.291/.366 in 175 plate appearances and recording only five outs in his first two starts before being diagnosed with a forearm strain. Minasian wouldn't commit to any projections for how much Ohtani will pitch and hit this season but has continually lauded his offseason work. "He's feeling great, he's ready to go," Minasian said. "Mentally, physically, he's definitely put in the work. And that's what's pretty impressive is just the amount of time and energy that this guy puts into his craft. When you combine that with the talent, I think we feel like he's going to be a huge part of this club and help us win games in multiple ways. We believe he's a difference-maker-type player."
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