"Very out of the blue and strange."
LA Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman expressed displeasure. He directly rebutted Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell's remarks criticizing the Shohei Ohtani two-way rule.
Friedman said in an interview with local radio station AM570 LA Sports on the 27th (Korean time) regarding the recently prominent Ohtani rule, "It is clearly an advantage for our team. What Ohtani does and the abilities he has are so unique. He deserves to be compensated and praised."
Friedman's remarks were a rebuttal to Counsell's comments. Counsell raised the issue in an interview with local media on the 22nd, saying of the Ohtani rule, "One player is getting special treatment, and it's a rule for one team. It's probably the strangest rule."
The Ohtani rule is a regulation introduced in 2022 that allows a starting pitcher who also serves as a designated hitter to remain in the game as the designated hitter even after finishing his pitching appearance. The rule applies in the season in question to players who pitched at least 20 innings in the major leagues in that season or the previous season and started at least 20 games as a position player or designated hitter (with at least three plate appearances in each game). Ohtani is the only player in the major leagues who meets these conditions.
Thanks to Ohtani, the Dodgers can operate a 26-man roster efficiently. Each team can carry up to 13 pitchers on the roster, but with Ohtani the Dodgers effectively operate with 14 pitchers. With as many as 11 pitchers on the injured list and struggling to manage the rotation, Cubs manager Counsell might understandably feel the Ohtani rule is unfair.
Counsell raised his criticism of the Ohtani rule ahead of the Dodgers' visit on the 25th, increasing the intensity of his criticism by saying, "It's a bad rule," and expressing frustration that "This isn't just the Dodgers' problem, and it isn't just Ohtani's problem. There aren't other players like that, yet only one team is subject to a different rule for that player."
In response, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, "It's not an exception because it's Ohtani; it's a right that any two-way player would enjoy. I hope other teams find players like Ohtani."
Friedman did not remain silent either. He said, "It's very out of the blue and strange that Counsell would bring this up now," and added, "It's best for baseball and the fans for Ohtani to play more often and continue to remain in games."
He went on to say, "Two years ago everyone knew about the Ohtani rule and had an equal opportunity to sign him. I don't know what position the Cubs were in during that process or what Counsell was thinking. But that time seemed more appropriate to raise the issue than now." The Dodgers signed Ohtani, who entered free agency in December 2023, to a 10-year, $700 million contract.
The rule was introduced ahead of the 2022 season when Ohtani was with the Los Angeles Angels, not the Dodgers. Friedman said that the MLB office asked the Dodgers and other clubs for their opinions on the rule and emphasized, "From a competitive standpoint it was a regulation some didn't like. But looking at baseball as a whole, what's best for the major leagues? It's to allow Ohtani to play and continue to remain in games."
Friedman added, "We don't have nine relievers. Like other teams, we have eight relievers, and we're not carrying one more reliever than other teams." The Dodgers, running a six-man starting rotation including Ohtani, are using an eight-man bullpen like other teams.
Meanwhile, Ohtani, who returned this season as a full-time two-way player after elbow surgery and rehabilitation, has pitched in four games (24 innings) with a 2-0 record, a 0.38 earned run average and 25 strikeouts, Cy Young-caliber numbers. As a hitter, in 27 games he is batting .262 (103 at-bats, 27 hits) with six home runs, 12 RBIs and an OPS of .876, a bit sluggish.
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