The second-biggest mystery of the MLB offseason was solved on Saturday, with Shohei Ohtani announcing that he would be joining the Dodgers on a deal worth $700 million over 10 years.
While the deal left baseball fans across the country stunned, there was still one mystery left to be solved—just what is the name of Ohtani's adorable dog?
Ohtani's dog won the hearts of baseball fans when the pooch was shown alongside Ohtani as he sat on his couch to accept the AL MVP award earlier this year.
Shohei has his dog with him as he awaits his MVP award 🥹 pic.twitter.com/XJXHM6EDnu
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) November 16, 2023
But despite the dog's newfound fame, no one seemed to be able to figure out its name.
The podcast Pablo Torre Finds Out floated the idea that the reason Ohtani's dog's name was being kept a secret was because it was related to the team he planned on signing with in the near future.
"The rumor I have heard is that Shohei Ohtani’s dog's name — the reason they're not saying it — is because the dog's name is the name of one of the teams he is considering."
— Pablo Torre Finds Out (@pablofindsout) December 8, 2023
— @PabloTorre 👀 pic.twitter.com/XtT57zuUKm
Of the teams in the Ohtani sweepstakes, "Dodger" seemed like the best fit for a dog's name, while Blue Jay suddenly seemed like a long shot.
While the tip seemed to be pointing in the direction of Shohei landing in Los Angeles, the private jet watchers on social media were also sure that Ohtani was in the air en route to Toronto.
On Saturday, Ohtani's move to the Dodgers became official, but fans are still wondering if his dog is in fact named Dodger. Joining MLB fans in wondering was Ohtani's now-teammate, Walker Buehler.
So his dog was named Dodger after all?
— Walker Buehler (@buehlersdayoff) December 9, 2023
I’d like to think it was named Walker but I guess I’ll find out soon.
— Walker Buehler (@buehlersdayoff) December 9, 2023
With Ohtani now heading to join the Los Angeles rotation, Buehler will have the inside track to finally confirming the name of Ohtani's dog. Hopefully he's willing to share the information with the rest of us.