Shohei Ohtani return to pitching won’t be stopped by Dodgers additions for one reason

The Los Angeles Dodgers ran the gauntlet and won the World Series in 2024, all with Shohei Ohtani relegated to exclusively the DH role. The $700 million man, recovering from his second major elbow surgery, was therefore a "position player" by default.

Now, with Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki on their way and a revamped bullpen in tow, some were wondering if Ohtani might transition to the DH role full-time and forgo his two-way status. The 30-year-old appeared to benefit from his laser focus on hitting, putting together his best individual campaign to date as the leadoff hitter in baseball's least forgiving lineup.

Ohtani slashed .310/.390/.646 with 54 home runs and 130 RBI on his way to a third MVP award. He also stole 59 bases, just to rub it in. The Dodgers' offense was an unrivaled buzzsaw, with Ohtani dominating in front of the protective blanket provided by Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.

That said, the Dodgers are going to pitch Ohtani in 2025 — and the reasons extend beyond his well-documented utility on the mound.

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Dodgers stand to benefit in multiple ways from Shohei Ohtani pitching in 2025

Sure, Ohtani is a great pitcher at full strength, but there is understandable trepidation about pushing him too hard after another elbow surgery. The Dodgers can also field a more-than-competent five-man rotation without Ohtani. Snell, Sasaki, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, maybe even Clayton Kershaw? Most teams would kill for such a deep and accomplished group.

Why risk it then? Well, one, because Ohtani is as good as anybody on the mound when he's humming. And two, because the Dodgers will benefit from the roster flexibility inherent to Ohtani as a "two-way" player.

Ken Rosenthal explained it around the 19:49 mark of the latest Foul Territory episode.

Once Ohtani pitches 20 innings and logs at least 20 games with at least three at-bats — a milestone he should clear fairly early in the season — he can officially be logged as a two-way player on the Dodgers roster. That effectively allows Los Angeles to roster 14 pitchers, one more than the standard limit of 13 on an MLB roster.

That is an incredible advantage only the Dodgers will receive, on top of the myriad other perks inherent to being baseball's biggest spender. Few assets are more valuable to a contender than pitching depth. Los Angeles has already shelled out top dollar not only to bolster its starting rotation, but to equip its bullpen.

By designating Ohtani as a two-way player, the Dodgers will be able to roster 13 pitchers in addition to Ohtani. That helps insure against injuries and gives Los Angeles a leg up on the competition not only for the regular season, but in the playoffs as well.

Ohtani made 23 starts on the mound in his final season with the Angels, posting a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts across 132.0 innings. That alone is enough to convince folks that Ohtani can (and should) pitch. That it also boosts LA's depth is the cherry on top of a gluttonous, borderline unfair sundae.