The "Ohtani Rule" criticized as Dodgers privilege, Roberts counters: Teams are welcome to find their own two-way players.

The two-way player status of Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani has unexpectedly reignited debate over the "two-way player rule." Following experts questioning its fairness, Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell has joined the discussion, publicly criticizing the current system for effectively granting the Dodgers the privilege of having a "14th pitcher." In response, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts firmly rebutted, stating plainly that this is solely because Ohtani is exceptionally unique.

Under current MLB regulations, a team's 26-man roster can include no more than 13 pitchers. However, Ohtani is classified as a "two-way player," a designation that does not occupy a pitcher slot, allowing the Dodgers to list 13 regular pitchers plus "pitcher Ohtani." Counsell finds this extremely perplexing, stating bluntly, "This is probably the strangest rule! Why must the entire league adhere to pitcher limits, yet one team gets an extra roster flexibility spot just because they have a certain player?"

Responding to the notion that "every team could develop a two-way player," Counsell expressed even greater displeasure, countering that there simply isn't a second Shohei Ohtani in reality. He argued that this "rule tailored for a specific individual" severely undermines competitive fairness, giving the already powerful Dodgers even more ease in bullpen management.

Addressing the Cubs manager's criticism, Dodgers manager Roberts today displayed a firm stance. He acknowledged that the rule indeed benefits the Dodgers, but retorted, "Any team that has Shohei Ohtani would enjoy the same advantage. We wholeheartedly welcome other teams to develop or find players capable of performing as two-way players." Roberts emphasized that Ohtani is an "exception among exceptions," an extraordinarily unique talent, and the team is merely utilizing personnel reasonably within the framework of the rules.

Earlier, The Athletic analyst Jim Bowden voiced his opinion on social media, calling for the league to re-examine this rule. While he supports Ohtani's dual role as pitcher and hitter, he also believes that allowing the Dodgers an extra pitcher on the roster is unfair to the other 29 teams, which must make trade-offs between hitter and pitcher slots.