The Los Angeles Dodgers have suddenly found themselves facing questions about their ownership. Mark Walter, who also owned the Los Angeles Lakers, sold the NBA franchise within 14 months of buying the team. While the Dodgers have insisted that business will remain unchanged, that did little to stop the speculation, and the biggest question surrounded Shohei Ohtani, as his contract is directly connected to the futures of Mark Walter and Andrew Friedman.

“Shohei Ohtani wouldn’t be likely to trigger the “key-man clause” in his Dodgers contract, even if Mark Walter hypothetically sold the team,” the SleeperDodgers updated on the X post. 

Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers in December 2023. But he has an unusual ‘key-man’ clause included in the deal. The two-way superstar has the provision to terminate the contract if key executives, specifically, owner Mark Walter or president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, leave the organization. 

Walter and his ownership group, Guggenheim Baseball Management, finalized the purchase of the Dodgers in 2012 for a then-record $2.15 billion. The LA side has even made it to the postseason every year since 2013. There most likely won’t be a change in that scenario this season as well. But the way Walter finalized the sale of the Lakers for $12.5 billion in 72 hours has raised some concerns about the Dodgers.

Sam Blum and Stephen J. Nesbitt from The Athletic tried to pacify some of that noise, especially the one regarding Shohei Ohtani. They noted that the clause in his contract seemed of little importance.

Notably, the Dodgers have demonstrated time and again that their baseball and organizational leadership work as a unit. More importantly, they have always delivered on the promise to reinvest the deferred money from Shohei Ohtani’s contract into revamping the major league roster. That’s why even though the owner (let’s say hypothetically) leaves, there’s little reason for the 4x MLB MVP to leave the franchise. 

And Ohtani’s confidence in the club is built on LA’s ability to keep its baseball operations structure intact. Then there is Andrew Friedman, who took over as the president of baseball operations in late 2014. The team has shown incredible form since then and have also won the World Series three times, including the back-to-back triumph in the last two years. 

The Dodgers’ continued investment, championship results, and incredible roster construction have provided enough reason for the Japanese superstar to trust the organization. 

After the news about the Lakers’ sale broke, manager Dave Roberts mentioned that he was surprised, but the topic was above his pay grade. But president Stan Kasten was blunt with his remarks, saying, “This is a Laker story, not really a Dodger story.”

Both indicated that changes in the organization related to the Lakers’ move are highly unlikely. 

Shohei Ohtani, on the other hand, has been focusing on getting back on the mound. He has had some discomfort in his knee for some time, and the Dodgers have been using him as a DH only. Roberts sparked some hope among the fans, saying Ohtani might start throwing in the bullpen soon. What else can a diehard ask for?