Phenom Ohtani signs with Angels

Shohei Ohtani is moving to Orange County.
The Japanese right-hander/outfielder is signing with the Los Angeles Angels, his representatives announced Friday. A signing bonus was not immediately disclosed. The Angels had $2.315 million left in their international signing pool for the 2017-18 period, and it's long been expected that Ohtani would use up whatever his chosen team had remaining. Ohtani chose the Halos from a group of seven finalists that also included the Mariners, Dodgers, Cubs, Padres, Rangers and Giants and had meetings with all seven earlier this week.

"This morning, after a thorough, detailed process, Shohei Ohtani has decided to sign with the Los Angeles Angels," Ohtani's agent, Nez Balelo, said in a statement. "Shohei is humbled and flattered by all the time and effort that so many teams put into their presentations and sincerely thanks them for their professionalism. In the end, he felt a strong connection with the Angels and believes they can best help him reach his goals in Major League Baseball."
There had been rumors, fueled in part by comments by Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, that Ohtani preferred a team in a smaller market on the West Coast. The Angels meet one of those conditions, but Balelo stressed there was more to the decision.
"While there has been much speculation about what would drive Shohei's decision, what mattered to him most wasn't market size, time zone or league, but that he felt a true bond with the Angels" the agent said. "He sees this as the best environment to develop and reach the next level and attain his career goals."
Ohtani was easily the most interesting free agent on the market once he declared his intention to move to the Majors from the Japanese Pacific League. The 23-year-old played five seasons with the Nippon Ham Fighters but was still subject to international amateur signing rules because of his age, under the most recent collective bargaining agreement.
Upon being posted from Japan, Ohtani became MLB.com's top international prospect. On the mound, his fastball is considered elite with a velocity that has topped 100 mph but typically sits in the upper 90's. His slider and splitter -- sometimes called a forkball -- are both considered well above-average and he rounds out the package with a curveball and changeup.
Often called the Japanese Babe Ruth, Ohtani also can impress with the bat. A left-handed hitter, he batted .322/.416/.588 with 22 homers in 104 games in 2016 and produced a .332/.403/.540 line in 65 games this past season, despite being limited by injuries. He was typically an outfielder in the Pacific League, but given the Angels' place in the American League, he might be better used as a designated hitter, leaving outfield duties to Mike Trout, Kole Calhoun and Justin Upton. Even in that scenario, he might have to share at-bats with Albert Pujols.
Landing Ohtani is the second big international signing the Angels have made this week. They signed Kevin Maitan for $2.2 million on Tuesday following his release from the Braves as part of Major League Baseball's sanctions against Atlanta. The 17-year-old shortstop is MLB.com's No. 38 overall prospect but is expected to fall after a rough stateside debut that raised concerns about his conditioning. Even so, the additions of Ohtani and Maitan give an improving Angels farm system a massive boost after a series of lean years.