Mookie Betts couldn't be more wrong about the Shohei Ohtani gambling scandal

The Los Angeles Dodgers are currently faced with the challenge of blocking out any and all distractions from the recent betting scandal that got Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara fired from his position.

However, Mookie Betts says that this isn't an issue at all.

"We're just focused on business," he said. "Taking care of business and that's all we keep first.

Betts seems to be missing the point of all this. Given the nature of everything, it would be hard to imagine this not being somewhat of a distraction for the Dodgers, even as they enter the season with arguably the deepest lineup in all of baseball. Los Angeles is a major media market. The idea that Ohtani reading a statement and not taking questions would be enough to satisfy the media's appetite for drama is misguided at best.

Frankly, someone like Mookie ought to know better. He played in Boston!

Mookie Betts believes Shohei Ohtani scandal is not a distraction

For context, Ohtani told reporters in his press conference on Monday that he and his team learned Mizuhara had been taking his funds to pay back gambling debts from illegal bets following the Dodgers win over the San Diego Padres in Seoul last week.

Mizuhara was subsequently fired, and the Dodgers lost the second game of the series to their NL West rivals. But based on Betts comments, the Dodgers star does not seem to see the connection between the scandal and their loss the following day. Nor does Betts believe the scandal will follow the Dodgers on the road, which it most certainly will. Ohtani is sure to become a target for opposing fanbases, as he is no longer a member of the lovable loser Angels.

Of course, nothing is confirmed and all we can do is speculate at this point. But it would be hard to imagine this not being a major distraction. Ohtani is arguably the best player in all of baseball and is playing in a big market.

This means that a lot of attention is on Ohtani, and it's even more intense in a big market like Los Angeles. The Dodgers are likely hearing about this scandal every day, which would certainly make it hard to stay focused at all times.

The situation is garnering extra attention from the media, especially in Los Angeles.