Shohei Ohtani reveals dog’s name, settling biggest mystery of MLB offseason

The biggest mystery of the MLB offseason has been solved.

We now know the name of Shohei Ohtani’s dog: Decoy.

Well, kind of. The dog’s name is Dekopin, which is a Japanese verb for flicking someone lightly on the forehead. But Ohtani gave his dog another name that’s easier to pronounce in English — Decoy — all of which he revealed Thursday during his introductory press conference with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Ohtani, of course, is just a few days removed from signing an unprecedented 10-year, $700 million contract — with $680 million deferred until after its end — with the Dodgers.

His dog’s name is especially fitting given how much intrigue surrounded Ohtani’s dog and its name upon appearing next to Ohtani during the remote presentation of the 2023 American League MVP award last month.

Then, as Ohtani’s historic free agency unfolded amid a veil of secrecy, Meadowlark Media relayed a rumor that the dog’s name was being kept under wraps because it might reveal what team he is leaning toward signing with.

It turns out the dog’s name was just a massive, well, decoy.

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