"As far as wedding gifts, we got surprised" - Dave Roberts says Dodgers were caught off guard with Shohei Ohtani's marriage announcement

For Shohei Ohtani, the past four months have been nothing short of a whirlwind. In addition to winning the AL MVP Award, and signing the largest contract in professional sports history, the 29-year-old recently announced that he has gotten married.

The news came by virtue of a fairly generic post in which the superstar informed his followers that he had tied the knot with an unknown individual. The post contained an image of Japanese text, complimented by a caption in English.

"Ohtani says he's married. "Not only have I began a new chapter in my career with the Dodgers but I also have began a new life with someone from my Native country of Japan who is very special to me and I wanted everyone to know I am now married…” - Kurumi Mori

The news was treated as a massive story, particularly among Japanese media, many of which interrupted normal programming in the island nation with a news ticker of the development. Most of the world, however, was caught off guard, including Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.

Speaking from Camelback Ranch in Arizona, Roberts alluded to the fact that the special news took him and his players by surprise. According to the skipper, whose team is 5-0 this preseason:

"I'm very happy for him and his bride. As far as wedding gifts, we got surprised and didn't have much time to think about it. I'm sure it's en route."

Speaking to the media later, Ohtani stipulated that he did not want to share the identity of his new wife, but claimed her to be a "normal Japanese woman." While his $700 million December deal with the Dodgers is the largest contract in sports history, some $680 million of the sum will be deferred until the completion of his contract in 2034. As such, his salary of $2 million represents a $28 million decrease from his 2023 salary as a member of the Los Angeles Angels.

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Shohei Ohtani eyes a big year full of life changes

For the first time in his MLB career, Shohei Ohtani will enter the 2024 season as a pure hitter, foregoing pitching on account of injury problems. So far, though, his spring training is looking very promising. Though Ohtani has only played in three games, he has already taken the Texas Rangers deep. Indeed, a big year lies ahead for Shohei Ohtani and his new partner.