In the grand saga of baseball, Shohei Ohtani is the main character. The rest of the league? Sometimes it looks like they are just trying to make a cameo. So when the Padres’ GM went all-in, trying to steal the Dodgers’ crown jewel, it felt like the climax of a blockbuster: bold moves, high stakes, and a dream that slipped just out of reach. The whole thing had the energy of a Hollywood heist flick. Except this time, the vault stayed locked. What really went down behind the scenes of this near-mythical chase?
On the April 23 episode of The Show podcast with Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman, Padres general manager AJ Preller revealed one of the more creative recruitment tactics in recent memory: he tried to land Shohei Ohtani by learning an entire speech in Japanese.
Yes, seriously.
Knowing that Ohtani, now the face of the Los Angeles Dodgers, relies heavily on an interpreter to bridge language gaps, Preller took a bold route, delivering his pitch in Ohtani’s native language. It was a personal, calculated effort to make Shotime feel at home and show that the Padres were all in. Worth a shot, huh?
“It was a fun process,” Preller said, recalling the recruitment saga. “Like trying to recruit Shohei Ohtani multiple times. It was frustrating; we obviously didn’t end up with him. He ended up, up the road both times—in Anaheim and now in LA. And now, as an organization, we’ve got to compete against him.”
Preller even recited some of the Japanese lines during the podcast, giving listeners a glimpse into the multilingual effort he poured into the pitch. Though Ohtani ultimately chose the Dodgers, it’s hard not to admire the dedication. Language barriers in sports are real. But Preller showed that when it comes to talent like Ohtani, some teams are willing to go the extra mile. Or, in this case, the extra language.
A.J. Preller shows off the Japanese he learned when recruiting Shohei Ohtani to San Diego
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Even before he entered the majors, Preller wanted to break the language barrier, expecting to create a positive mindset in him. Preller continued, “A few years ago, we were at that trade deadline; we were talking about Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani. I think those are the moments in this job, which are many, where you kind of have to pinch yourself and be like, Are we actually doing this?” Basically, back in 2018, the San Diego Padres were aggressively going after Shohei Ohtani. But their dreams were shattered as they didn’t have the money that Ohtani desired. The Padres’ financial troubles were also to blame for not being able to afford Ohtani. But that’s not all!
There were even rumors of Shohei Ohtani looking for a deal in the $500 to $600 million mark. And the Dodgers didn’t disappoint him, as they signed him for a massive $700 million contract, although most of the money was deferred. He wouldn’t get the entire amount until he completed his ten-year tenure with the Dodgers. Also, if sources are to be true, Ohtani was looking for growth in a team alongside Japanese players like Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki. And that was enough for him to find the right spot, rather than going for the Padres.
And we all agree that Ohtani did the right thing, shouldn’t we?
Coming to the present scenario, the Dodgers are currently one of the biggest teams in MLB, who are known for their aggressive spending and getting the best players. Now, AJ Preller went the extra mile to share his views on the Dodgers and how they have raised the bar in MLB.
Did the Dodgers really raise the bar in MLB?
Well, that’s what Padres General Manager AJ Preller thinks. When asked about the Dodgers’ payroll standing at $399 million with Clayton Kershaw as a pitcher and Blake Snell in reserve, they still look like a dominant team. Preller set the tone of conversations, highlighting how the Dodgers have raised the bar in the league. The whole point here isn’t just about the NLS being the “SEC of MLB”; then what is it?
Preller said the National League has got stronger than before. “In the last few years, we saw the Dodgers in 20 in the playoffs; we saw them again in 222 and then again last year in 24, so we’ve seen them three times in the last five years. They’re obviously the defending world champions; they added a tonne to their roster.” So, it’s basically the way they groomed their players and kept their healthy and that’s what makes them special and one of the best teams in MLB. But it’s not just about them reaching the playoffs or being the champion side; instead, it is about the Dodgers’ massive $389.1 million payroll, which is the highest in Major League Baseball.
They even went for a spending spree, spending around $471.5 million on the players they signed from the free agency. They signed the left-hander Blake Snell for five years, $182 million; infielder Hyeseong Kim for three years, $12.5 million; Teoscar Hernandez; and many more. But what sets the Dodgers apart is their addition of Japanese stars. Be it the sensational young pitcher Roki Sasaki or Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who fetched a massive twelve-year, $325 million contract, the highest ever for a pitcher in MLB.
However, Preller also stressed the emergence of new faces every year in NLS and why teams keep adding to bolster their roster and remain competitive all throughout. What’s your say on what AJ Preller said about the Dodgers? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
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