Stephen A. Smith produced an eyebrow-raising take on two-way star Shohei Ohtani that had MLB fans rolling their eyes Wednesday morning.
Smith said on ESPN’s First Take that he didn’t believe Ohtani was worth the potential $500 million contract some expect him to receive in free agency this winter. While part of that take was based on Ohtani’s recent elbow surgery that will prevent him from pitching until the 2025 season, Smith also said Ohtani isn’t worth such a rich contract because the Angels haven’t won with Ohtani on the roster.
“I don’t want to hear any discussions anymore about him getting a half a billion dollars,” Smith said. “There’s a bunch of empty seats that I see when Shohei Ohtani’s pitching, let alone hitting… you’re not filling anything, you’re not winning, I’m not giving up that kind of money for him.”
