Unfortunate injury could impact value of Shohei Ohtani's contract in free agency

CALIFORNIA — How quickly things change. Just a short while ago we were discussing what kind of monetary records Shohei Ohtani would set during the offseason when he becomes a free agent. The numbers you would read about in the press were staggering. First, back in January it was $500 million for 10 years. Then in the spring it had risen to $600 million, and by July it was up to $700 million. In August, according to one source in San Francisco, the Giants were preparing an offer for $800 million.

Could $1 billion be next, you were wondering.

Such numbers seemed extraordinarily high for a player who recently turned 29, an age that historically has been the start of a player’s on-field decline.