Shohei Ohtani Taking a Swing With Hawaii Home

After a stressful first season for Shohei Ohtani with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the baseball superstar is plotting a project in Hawaii where he can lay his head during the offseason.

Ohtani is designing a 5,000-square-foot home in Hapuna Estates, a gated community within the Mauna Key Resort on the Big Island, the Wall Street Journal reported. Ohtani is the first known resident of the luxury community and will reside on an acre overseeing the eighth hole of a golf course.

The deal was first reported by Sportskeeda.

It’s not clear what Ohtani paid for the site and it’s possible he’s benefiting from how he’s already being used to market the community. Ohtani was able to choose his lot and the developers, led by California-based West Point Investment Corp., will oversee construction to the two-way player’s specifications.

Lots at Hapuna Estates will start around $4.9 million. The community will span 34 acres and contain 66 luxury homes — a portion in a 14-home subdivision where prices will range between $16 million and $20 million — and duplex condos. Construction is slated to start this year.

Kingsbarn Realty Capital is a partner on the subdivision, while Dominis Holdings is a partner on the condos. Hapuna Realty’s Tomo Matsumoto is leading sales across the project.

The resort features two golf courses, private beaches and hotels.

Those concerned about the Japanese superstar’s ability to pay for the home need not worry. Ohtani’s historic $700 million contract with the Dodgers includes $680 million in deferred payments, meaning he’s only making $2 million annually over the next ten years. But he makes approximately $45 million annually in endorsements.

There’s also the matter of the alleged theft committed by Ohtani’s longtime interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. He’s accused of stealing $16 million from Ohtani to place bets with an illegal bookmaker. He’s been charged with bank fraud by federal prosecutors; Ohtani hasn’t been accused of wrongdoing, but the situation has cast a dark shadow over the start of his season.

— Holden Walter-Warner