Dodgers president on Ohtani pursuit: 'We had been planning for years'

Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten said his club spent years preparing to sign Shohei Ohtani.

"We had been planning for years. We knew the opportunity might be there. There was an impact on our roster, there was an impact on our finances - but we were planning to take our best shot at it," he said on "Foul Territory."

The Dodgers' patience paid off, as they ultimately signed the Japanese superstar to a unique 10-year, $700-million deal that includes heavy deferrals to maintain long-term payroll flexibility.

Much of Ohtani's free agency was shrouded in secrecy, and many pundits speculated which factors would influence his decision.

"I thought we had a lot of built-in advantages," Kasten explained.

"We are Los Angeles; it's a great great market. We have the great climate. It was close to a part of the world (Ohtani) was familiar with, and we had this record of going to the postseason every year."

Ohtani has been worth every penny in his first season with the Dodgers, becoming the first member of the 50 home run, 50 stolen base club while leading the team to the World Series.

Despite the result, Kasten admitted to feeling unsure at times throughout the process - particularly when Ohtani was falsely reported as being en route to Toronto with plans of becoming a Blue Jay.

"Still, we didn't know we were going to get him. We were like all of you, following that stupid airplane to Toronto," Kasten said.