Regardless of the actual outcome (and count me in among the skeptical crowd), I do find it extremely surprising how much Ohtani has to rely on interpreters. He works and lives in the USA for several years now. Before he certainly had English lessons at school (which is mandatory here in Germany upon first grade, and I cannot believe this is handled all differently in Japan). Of course, now the almighty manipulative interpreter ideally fits his narrative of being misled and deceived, but Ohtani didn't talk too much English before.
The same phenomenon applies to many Latin American players, who often started playing in the USA as teenagers. I just don't get how one can be and obviously wants to be so isolated from the country he lives in and most of his teammates. And with all due respect to this wonderful language, English is not terribly difficult to learn - at least not a basic, yet functional part of it.
Gruß,
BSHH