Every time Joe Kelly finished one answer Wednesday, another half-dozen questions were shouted straight to his face.
A day before Shohei Ohtani was set to be officially introduced by the Dodgers, Kelly was greeted at a Dodger Stadium charity event by dozens of media members, clumped in a horde several rows deep, all eager to ask about his newest superstar teammate.
If the spotlight on the Dodgers’ organization was bright before, Ohtani’s presence is only amplifying it.
What was Kelly’s reaction to the 10-year, $700-million signing?
Read more: Complete coverage: Shohei Ohtani signs record deal with Dodgers
“I was excited, man,” the veteran reliever said. “He’s a great person.”
What did Kelly — wearing a No. 99 jersey instead of his customary No. 17, which now belongs to Ohtani — get in return for the jersey swap?
“There’s a list,” he said with a smirk. “No comment yet.”
Most of all, was he prepared to answer Ohtani questions all year?
“Uhh, maybe once a week,” he said with a laugh.
It’s a trade-off he and his teammates will happily make, embracing the extra attention — and inevitable barrage of Ohtani-related questions — in hopes the two-time MVP will lead the club back to baseball’s summit, counting on him to help reverse their recent, underwhelming postseason fortunes.
“You need a guy like that, who’s obviously not afraid and wants to be the star in a big moment,” Kelly said. “Especially because here with the Dodgers organization where we make it to the playoffs, our goal is to win the World Series every year. So if you can put in players who aren’t afraid of the moment, it goes a long way here.”
Kelly’s teammates have offered similar sentiments in the days since Ohtani announced he was signing with the Dodgers.
Third baseman Max Muncy said he was putting his kids down for a nap in his Dallas-area home Saturday afternoon when his wife came upstairs and asked him how he felt about playing with Ohtani.
“I didn’t have any details,” Muncy said during the “Foul Territory” video podcast, “but I saw 10 years, $700…