Ben Verlander Says Shohei Ohtani Is Biggest Dodgers Signing, Ignores Jackie Robinson

The Los Angeles Dodgers signed MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani to a record-setting contract just over a week ago, in one of the biggest free agency deals in baseball history.

That much isn't up for debate; the $700 million figure and Ohtani's off-field fame ensured that, in a rare result for baseball, the signing crossed over into national news. His introductory press conference was a full on event, with media assembled from across the world to see him put on a Dodgers uniform for the first time.

READ: SHOHEI OHTANI REVEALS DOG NAME IS DECOY, AND OTHER THINGS WE LEARNED DURING HIS FIRST DODGERS PRESS CONFERENCE

And while it was undeniably a momentous day for fans and the organization, nothing about the professional game of baseball changed with Ohtani joining the Dodgers. Nevertheless, MLB commentator Ben Verlander called it "the most important signing in Dodgers history" during a recent broadcast.

Unfortunately, he forgot one other key signing from Dodgers history: Jackie Robinson.

Ohtani's an exceptionally talented, unique and a game-changing superstar. But he's no Jackie Robinson.

LOS ANGELES - Shohei Ohtani poses for a photo with Manager Dave Roberts after being introduced by the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on December 14. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

Ohtani Doen't Fundamentally Change The Sport

Jackie Robinson's signing was certainly a bigger day for the Dodgers, and for baseball at large, than the Ohtani deal.

Yes, Shohei is a remarkable athlete who's capable of success on the field at a level unlike essentially anyone else. But Robinson breaking the color barrier opened the floodgates for baseball to become the meritocracy it always should have been. The best athletes and most talented players make it to MLB, without artificial limitations.

It's reasonable to get excited about the Ohtani addition; the biggest player in the sport now joins one of the signature franchises that virtually every year plays on the biggest stage. But there's no barrier being broken, or dramatic change to the Dodgers organization simply because it signed the best player in the sport.

Former Dodger Justin Turner pointed this exact comparison out.

It doesn't take anything away from the momentous addition that Ohtani represents. But again, he's no Jackie Robinson.