Shohei Ohtani’s movement to the Los Angeles Dodgers has not been entirely smooth sailing. A much better word to describe it would be “Rocky”. There has been slight yet noticeable dip in his on-field performance. Moreover, his recent media avoidance has caused a stir not only among fans but also within within the team.

The Dodgers players are more accustomed to an open approach with the media. But somehow, Ohtani’s tendency to avoid the media has reportedly mustered some frustration with peers. Particularly, noticing that he skips post-game interviews. Though this is not new for the two-way phenom, but it certainly is not sitting well with the Blue Crew given all his media attention. Can the Uniform sustain this behavior? 

It is no secret that Ohtani was the same even back when he was with the Los Angeles Angels. He is known to be extremely selective with media appearances. But there’s an important point to note here. His silence is even louder now considering the timing. He just moved to a new team with a record-breaking deal of $700 million, he got embroiled in a massive controversy with his interpreter and his performance in 2024 has been shaky. 

Considering all this, his fellow players have displayed a sense of unrest when it comes to Ohtani’s silence in the media.  Jorge Castillo from ESPN said on the Baseball Tonight with Buster Olney podcast, “Guys(the players) have been rumbling… The amount of media has been an issue in the Dodgers stadium.” There’s no doubt that Ohtani is a generational talent and the media attention is a byproduct of it. However, the phenom hasn’t been cooperative with the masses’ expectations. 

The Shohei Ohtani Silence – A Personal Choice or a Strategic Move?

Folks expected Ohtani to address the aftermath of the Ippei Mizuhara scandal at least to some degree. Well, his his former interpreter who was his right-hand-man was accused of stealing millions from him and using the money for illegal gambling. 

But the 29-year-old chose to keep mum despite being the alleged victim in the entire situation. In the midst of this conundrum, let’s not forget that there are mysteries in the story (developed so far) and it does cast a shadow over Los Angeles.

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One can’t say for sure whether Ohtani’s media silence is a strategic move to avoid further controversy or not. From another perspective, it could just be a continuation of his past preferences as in with the Angels. However, one thing is undeniable, the Dodgers, known for their strong team chemistry, might be in the midst of navigating a new challenge due to Ohtani’s silence.