LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani has already gotten a win for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The two-time AL MVP’s video pitch helped recruit pitcher Tyler Glasnow to a five-year, $136,562,500 deal with the team. Ohtani agreed to his record-breaking 10-year, $700 million contract last week.
“It definitely added a lot of ground for me going to the Dodgers,” Glasnow said Monday in a video interview. “It was great. He just said he wanted me in the team and hoped I would hit some home runs and have him join me on the staff the following year.”
Ohtani will not be a two-way player next season after undergoing elbow surgery. Instead, he will be the Dodgers’ designated hitter.
“I just want to pick his brain and see what he learned,” Glasnow said. “He seems like a great guy and probably one of the best players in baseball ever. I want to be on the field with this guy.”
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As part of the deal that sent Ryan Bebiot and Johnny DeLuca to Tampa Bay in exchange for Glasnow and outfielder Manuel Margot, the Rays will send the Dodgers up to $4 million. The Rays pay $2 million on Aug. 2 and are due to pay $2 million on Dec. 1, 2026, contingent on not exercising Margot’s 2025 option, which would cover the buyout.
Glasnow gets a $10 million signing bonus payable by Dec. 31, salaries of $15 million next year and $30 million in each of the next three seasons. Glasnow has a $21,562,500 player option for 2028, and if he declines the Dodgers can exercise a $30 million team option. He will make a 1% charitable contribution as part of the deal.
Like Ohtani, Glasnow has his own injury history.
He had forearm issues in 2019 that limited him to 12 starts for the Tampa Bay Rays. In 2021, he suffered a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament and a flexor strain in his right elbow. He opted for rehab, but that was unsuccessful and he missed the rest of the season before having Tommy John surgery. He returned late in the 2022 season.
“We feel good that he’s going to come out and be able to take the ball as much as we need him to,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomez said. “We expect a full transition from Tyler.”
Last season, Glasnow missed a few months due to an oblique injury. He ended up making 21 starts, going 10-7 with a 3.53 ERA.
“Most of the innings I missed were related to the same injury,” he said, speaking from a car with a sunroof open to reveal a blue sky, sunglasses hanging from his shirt and a seat belt. “Since I fixed it, it’s never been something I’ve ever thought about. I’m looking forward to having some healthy seasons for sure.”
In 2020, Glasnow started Game 1 of the World Series against the Dodgers in Texas, where the postseason was held due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He lost, and the Dodgers went on to win their first championship since 1988.
“It will be a great experience to play for my dream team,” he said. “It’s always been one of my favorite places to play, so I’m excited to get back out there and enjoy it all again.”
Growing up, Glasnow would brave “pretty crazy” traffic on the 32-mile drive from his home in Santa Clarita to attend Dodgers games and watch his favorite player, three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw.
He said: “I remember sitting in the stands and looking at the players in the dugout, and feeling overwhelming jealousy.” “It’s like I have to go to school tomorrow and you guys are going to play baseball.”
Glasnow had one season remaining on his $25 million deal with the Rays and will be eligible for free agency after next season.
“I think it was never about doing the best I could,” he said. “It was very much about being somewhere I wanted to be and the life I thought I could live. For me, it was a lot of money. I’m very happy with money and that’s where I’m very happy to be.”
Glasnow said he called former Dodgers and quizzed them about playing for the franchise.
“It feels similar to the Rays. I think the only difference is the Dodgers have a lot more money,” he said, smiling. “Winning is everything, but not at the expense of character. Everyone looks so great.”
Glasnow will wear No. 31 for the Dodgers, a nod to his old minor league jersey number. He wore number 20 with the Rays.
“I’m going home,” he said. “It definitely gives me butterflies.”
He hopes his return will give him a ring, too.
“The only thing that matters to me is winning the world championship,” he said.
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The recent signing of pitcher Tyler Glasnow by the Los Angeles Dodgers has been attributed in part to a video featuring Shohei Ohtani. The video, which showcased the exciting potential of playing for the Dodgers and highlighted the team’s status as a “dream team” destination, helped persuade Glasnow to join the reigning World Series champions. With Ohtani’s influence playing a significant role in the recruitment of Glasnow, it’s clear that the Dodgers are building a formidable roster for the upcoming season.