Here at Smаsh Or Pass, we’ll be taking a look at potential free agents and trade targets for the Red Sox to see if they make sense for the team this summer. Shohei Ohtani, the player we have to start with, is our series starter today.

What is his background, and who is he?

Shohei Ohtani claims to be from Oshu, Japan via Anaheim, but he probably hails from a futuristic alien race that has perfected the technology to control both time and space.

In what capacity does he serve?

He is the team’s primary starter. Plus, a designated hitter who plays everyday. And every now and then a right fielder.

I was wondering if he was any good.

Statistics and analysis on platoon splits, park effects, and pitch shapes are commonplace in this section. But in this instance, we’re going to ignore that.

To paraphrase Daryl Strawberry’s response to Homer Simpson’s question about whether or not he was better than Homer, “well, I’ve never met you, but… yes.”

So, yep, that’s the answer Shohei can give to any person, alive or deаd. He is the best ballplayer in baseball history.

Put simply, I need his stats for the year 2023.

From a striking perspective: A.304/.412/654/44 HR/20 SB/184 OPS+ in 135 games played.

Pitcher stats: 23 starts, 132 innings, 85 hits, 55 walks, 167 strikeouts (3.14 ERA, 142 ERA+).

Despite missing nearly all of September, he still managed to finish first in baseball in bWAR (10.0). He ranked in the top 10 of 24 оffensive categories and also had the third-most strikeouts of any pitcher and the sixth-best earned run average plus (ERA+).

Why would the 2024 Boston Red Sox want him on their team?

For the simple reason that he was/is baseball’s best player.

I don’t see why he wouldn’t be a great addition to the 2024 Red Sox.

So, here’s the deal: the Boston Red Sox need starting pitching more than anything else. Shohei is a fantastic starting pitcher and would start on Opening Day if he were healthy enough to do so. Ohtani had surgery a few weeks ago after tearing the notorious UCL in his throwing elbow back in August. While he has already undergone Tommy John surgery, this new operation was purportedly performed to “repair the issue at hand and to reinforce the healthy ligament in place while adding viable tissue for the longevity of the elbow.” Double elbow operations are terrifying for pitchers, and he won’t throw a ball at all next season. Unfortunately, it’s unclear whether or not his arm will regain its superpowers.

He’s still planning on being a designated hitter next season and could help any team. However, Ohtani the hitter isn’t exactly what the Sox need right now. The Sox have decent depth at the top of the order with left-handed hitters Rafael Devers and Triston Casas. Actually, they’re in a really excellent spot when it comes to left-handed things, as practically all of their best оffensive performances were lefties (the only exceptions being soon-to-be free agents Justin Turner and Adam Duvall). Therefore, adding Ohtani does nothing except make next offseason’s roster retooling that much more urgent.

He also does little to improve the team’s defense, which is a major problem. Ohtani’s presence would make it much more difficult to solve the defense, given three of the team’s greatest оffensive players (Devers, Casas, and Masataka Yoshida) were butchers in the field last season and, ideally, should be DHs.

How much does he cost?

Oh my God, you have no idea. There was talk of a $600 million extension to his deal before the ιnjury. That’s more money than any team in sports history has ever paid an athlete, but it’s easy to see why: he’s a top-10 hitter and a top-10 pitcher, so combine the deals for Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole to get to $600 million.

The ιnjury will undoubtedly reduce that number considerably, but there are so many factors at play that it is difficult to pinpoint an exact figure. All but the Padres and Yankees have been reticent to hand out contracts worth more than $250 million in recent years. If his arm never recovers, you’ll have a very pricey designated hitter on your hands (albeit he could probably transition to an excellent defensive right fielder, being one of the quickest players in the game). His hitting value alone is above $200 million.

There’s also the possibility of more harm. Shohei is a miracle since he’s like having two superstars for the price of one. However, this also implies that the cost to his team of losing Ohtani due to ιnjury is greater than that of losing any other player. Imagine the devastation that would ensue if a team’s best pitcher and best batter both got hurt in the same play and missed the following two months. Such would be the result of a broken wrist for Shohei.

After all, who wouldn’t want this guy on their side? He will make you the talk of the town in an instant. He’s one of the few baseball players to become a household nаme outside of America. He can quadruple your merchandise sales and bring in enough fans to fill the stadium on game days. However, it is important to remember that revenue sharing may cut into his profits from merchandise sales. Ohtani, Shohei, is a swear word.

Give me a compelling example.

You’ve heard about the 100 mph fastballs and witnessed the massive home runs. What really pushes Shohei over the edge from “wow, this guy’s amazing” to “seriously, how is this a real human being” is his incredible speed.

How about a smаsh or a pass?

Let’s be honest, there are a number of scenarios in which it would be wise to pass on Shohei. But, to be honest, I’m tired of considering sports in terms of caution and long-term planning.

Personally, I’d rather see Ohtani play for my favorite team for the next decade than see them win a championship (not that we have to choose between the two; he’s a great player who makes your team better, duh). And yes, I realize that this opinion makes me almost completely unique. I’ve reached a place in my fandom when victories no longer meаn as much to me as they once did. I’ve been a fan of both successful and unsuccessful clubs. The latter may be more enjoyable in the short term, but it doesn’t have any lasting impact on any of us as people when our team wins the title. This isn’t to imply that sports have no value; rather, it’s to point out that the aspects of sports that really matter—including the sense of belonging and camaraderie it fosters, as well as the memories and insights it provides—have little to do with the outcome of games.

We don’t tune in to sports to learn about steady sustainability; we watch in the hopes of witnessing something exquisite, and in all of sports, Shohei Ohtani is without peer.

I’m killing it.