Shohei Ohtani is fighting back.
The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar two-way player’s lawyers filed a motion Sunday that a $240 million lawsuit against him be thrown out of court.
Ohtani, the reigning National League MVP who is the favorite to repeat at that award, was served a lawsuit last month in conjunction with a real-estate project in Hawaii, along with his agent.
Ohtani, of course, leads the majors in runs scored (135) and is tops in the National League in OPS (1.001). His 49 homers rank second behind only Kyle Schwarber among NL players, and Ohtani is third behind Schwarber and Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh.
Led by Ohtani, the Dodgers lead the National League West by 2.5 games over the San Diego Padres with 13 games to play.
What Is Shohei Ohtani’s Defense Against This Lawsuit?
The term “name, image and likeness” are often referenced in terms of college sports these days. But according to USA Today, Ohtani’s lawyers call the Dodgers superstar a “victim of NIL violations.”
“Unbeknownst to Ohtani and his agent Nez Balelo, plaintiffs exploited Ohtani’s name and photograph to drum up traffic to a website that marketed plaintiffs’ own side project development,” the lawyers wrote, according to USA Today. “They engaged in this self-dealing without authorization, and without paying Ohtani for that use, in a selfish and wrongful effort to take advantage of their proximity to the most famous baseball player in the world.”
Ohtani and Balelo were sued for alleged sabotaging a business venture and were accused of “tortious interference and unjust enrichment,” and using “celebrity leverage to destabilize and ultimately dismantle plaintiffs’ role in the project.”
They also were accused of trying to sabotage a different business venture and “threats and baseless legal claims to force a business partner to betray its contractual obligations” by real-estate developer Kevin J. Hayes Sr., real estate broker Tomoko Matsumoto, West Point Investment Corp. and Hapuna Estates Property Owners.
“Nez Balelo has always prioritized Shohei Ohtani’s best interests, including protecting his name, image, and likeness from unauthorized use,” said Laura Smolowe, a lawyer representing Balelo and Ohtani, according to USA Today. “This frivolous lawsuit is a desperate attempt by plaintiffs to distract from their myriad of failures and blatant misappropriation of Mr. Ohtani’s rights.”
Is Shohei Ohtani the NL MVP?
That Ohtani has continued on his torrid hitting pace amid the potential distractions of this case is remarkable. But the reigning NL MVP has four home runs, eight RBIs, a 1.163 OPS and 11 runs scored in just 12 games in September.
Between his play and the Dodgers‘ suddenly torrid stretch — they are 6-1 in their past seven games — they are suddenly a lock to their 12th NL West crown in the past 13.
So even though Ohtani’s pitching has taken a back seat — though he is LA’s schedule starter Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies — he is almost a lock to win his second straight NL MVP Award, and the fourth MVP award of his dominant career — ahead of Schwarber and potentially New York Mets superstar outfielder Juan Soto.
Dodgers Star Shohei Ohtani Fights Back in Lawsuit Over $240 Million Deal