SF Giants fans shouldn't get hopes up on Shohei Ohtani ditching Dodgers after doomsday prediction

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been a subject of interest as of late, but for the wrong reasons. Their owner, Mark Walter, is under investigation for alleged financial impropriety involving the insurance companies he runs which seemingly forced him to sell the Los Angeles Lakers.

All reports for now indicate that Walter selling the Dodgers would be an absolute last resort since he considers it his "crown jewel", but if things get bad enough financially for him then maybe he will have no other choice.

If the Dodgers are sold, that could have some pretty huge ramifications. Most importantly, their superstar Shohei Ohtani has a clause stipulating that if Walter sells the team or president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman leaves, Ohtani can terminate the contract after that season.

Early reports indicate that Ohtani would not terminate his contract of the team was sold. Still, the fact that he could exercise that power is pretty significant. Longtime LA Times columnist Bill Plaschke wrote about a doomsday scenario (for the Dodgers at least) in which the team is sold and Ohtani leaves.

Giants fans are probably going to have to deal with Shohei Ohtani on the Dodgers for a long time

While that makes fun fodder for Giants fans at the end of this brutal season for the team, it’s just not all that realistic. Ohtani has played two seasons with the Dodgers and he’s won two World Series titles. He has to be very happy with his situation and really the only way he might leave is if he genuinely feels like he will not get paid the deferred money from his contract.

He agreed to the 10-year, $700 million deal with the understanding that he would be paid $68 million per year from 2034 to 2043. There’s a good chance the Dodgers will have that money to spend, but if the financial situation becomes much more bleak or new ownership takes over and tightens the purse strings then that could complicate things.

It would be absolutely hilarious if the Dodgers went belly up somehow and couldn’t pay Ohtani, but something tells me he and the Dodgers will be just fine financially. The guy probably brings in $68 million per year by himself between jersey sales and ticket sales. If the Dodgers are smart maybe they are just storing that away in a rainy day fund or perhaps Walter has an exceptionally large mattress.

Perhaps if things worsen Ohtani’s departure from the Dodgers could become more of a reality, but for now it just seems like a pipe dream and nothing more. It's unfortunate, but Giants fans are probably going to have to deal with the guy through 2033.

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