Dave Roberts reveals Shohei Ohtani is 'open' to play as an outfielder in coming season if elbow allows

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts' job got much easier after the team signed Shohei Ohtani to a record-breaking contract. The two sides recently agreed to a deal to make Ohtani a Dodger for the next 10 seasons.

Ohtani is coming off an MVP season where he had great success at the plate. In 135 games, he hit .304/.412/.654 with an American League-leading 44 home runs, despite missing the end of the regular season.

While the Japanese star will not be able to pitch during the 2024 season after undergoing an elbow procedure months ago, he will serve as the DH. However, Roberts has hinted at Ohtani possibly returning to the outfield next season.

"There was even a little talk with Shohei about, come September, when he can pick up a baseball and throw, would he be open to taking some balls out there in left field? And he said, 'If it works, and my arm feels okay, I'm open to it,'" said Roberts (via MLB.com).

Shohei Ohtani has not taken a rep in the outfield since the 2021 season. Between the outfield and pitching, it took too much of a toll on Ohtani's arm, and thus he decided to focus on pitching and being a DH.

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After landing Shohei Ohtani, Dave Roberts hints at another potential big signing

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While some could point to signing Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow as a good stopping point, the Dodgers are not among them. Dave Roberts has hinted at the team signing another big free agent to complete their offseason.

On the Dan Patrick Show, Roberts discussed the possibility of signing Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is a top-rated pitcher on the open market and has a relationship with Ohtani.

"We'd be crazy not to," Roberts said when asked if the Dodgers were still looking to recruit Yamamoto.

The Dodgers seem to be assembling an All-Star caliber team for the 2024 season. Pairing Yamamoto with somebody like Tyler Glasnow would make for an incredible combo at the top of the rotation. They also have Bobby Miller, who is coming off a pretty impressive rookie season.

The rest of the league will likely try their best to persuade Yamamoto away from the Dodgers, but that will be tough. They are the most complete team in the league and have the opportunity to be successful for many years.