MLB insider on Shohei Ohtani contract: "It's going to cost $450-$500 million"

One of the key questions entering the MLB season is where will Shohei Ohtani be playing baseball in 2024. The Los Angeles Angels superstar recently signed a one-year, $30 million extension with the club but will become a free agent at the end of the season.

The Japanese sensation is the only player in the league who hits and pitches at a high level. He is a rarity in the game, and it is hard to put a price on what his skillset is worth. With Shohei Ohtani, you are not only getting a double-digit win pitcher, you are also getting one of the league's elite hitters. Any team shelling out cash for Ohtani is getting two players for the price of one.

MLB insider Jim Bowden has a unique take on the Ohtani situation. He believes that the Angels' inability to close a long-term deal with the two-way star means that they are unable or unwilling to re-sign Ohtani.

"It's going to cost $450-$500 million," Bowden said.

Bowden said that the cost of retaining Ohtani will not stop at his contract. Any club willing to sign Ohtani will have to be able to compete for a World Series title.

"Ohtani clearly wants to win," Bowden said.

The Los Angeles Angels have failed to reach the postseason for eight straight seasons.

The return of a healthy Mike Trout and World Series champion Anthony Rendon will provide some hope for Angels fans. If the Angels fail to make the playoffs next year, their chances of extending Ohtani will be slim. It is hard to imagine Ohtani sticking around with an organization that cannot even win the division, let alone the World Series.

Shohei Ohtani is set to become a free agent at the end of the 2023 season

Shohei Ohtani prepares in the dugout before a game against the Oakland Athletics.

The fact that Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon are both on humongous contracts makes things more difficult for the Angels. Trout is one of the league's highest-paid players. He signed a massive 12-year, $426 million contract in 2019. Rendon signed on a seven-year, $245 million deal in 2019.

The Angels are committed to Trout and Rendon, which makes signing Shohei Ohtani to a long-term deal very difficult.

"The Angels and Shohei Ohtani have agreed to a one-year, $30 million contract extension for the 2023 season BRWalkoff," Bleacher Report tweeted.

The New York Yankees and New York Mets have been rumored to be interested in signing Ohtani. It is noteworthy that when the Japanese star arrived in the majors, his preference was to remain on the West Coast.

Like many other analysts, Bowden also believes that the Los Angeles Dodgers could be a possible destination. The Dodgers have cleared up a significant amount of payroll this season. A move across town might tempt Ohtani to remain in Southern California.