MLB Rumors: Cody Bellinger hurdle, Blake Snell offer, Ohtani opening series hurdle
- Ticket prices for Shohei Ohtani's Dodgers debut are sky high
- Blake Snell's only offer landed well below his asking price
- Cody Bellinger has not received a formal offer yet
MLB Rumors: Ticket prices soar for Shohei Ohtani's Dodgers debut
Shohei Ohtani will make his Los Angeles Dodgers debut in Seoul, Korea against the San Diego Padres. The MLB season will open with a two-game series between the Dodgers and Padres in the Gocheok Sky Dome, with a capacity of roughly 17,000. According to Bloomberg, tickets are only available to local Korean residents.
That won't stop ticket prices from soaring as high as $1,300 to attend Ohtani's debut, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The series will also mark Yoshinobu Yamamoto's MLB debut, so there's natural excitement built up around the event.
The Seoul Series, which will take place on March 20 and 21, has to chance to form once-in-a-lifetime memories for those in attendance. It's a rare opportunity for Korean fans to witness the best team in baseball firsthand, without needing to book international flights or hotels. Still, one can't help but get mildly nervous about Shohei Ohtani's availability. What if he doesn't play?
Clearly, that's a risk ticket buyers are willing to take. In six years with the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani elevated his stardom on a global scale as the clear best player in baseball. With the Dodgers, now he's on an established winner with a real chance to go deep in the playoffs. It all starts in March. Hopefully Ohtani receives a clean bill of health and is a full go for the most highly anticipated season opener in decades.