Shohei Ohtani, the 23-year-old Japanese outfielder and pitcher, will sign with the Los Angeles Angels, his agent Nez Balelo announced Friday afternoon.

“In the end, he felt a strong connection with the Angels and believes they can best help him reach his goals in Major League Baseball,” Balelo said in a statement.

When he announced his transition to the MLB from Japan’s Nippon Ham Fighters, Ohtani vowed to sign only with a team that would let him play both positions. Because Ohtani decided to play stateside before age 25, he is subject to the same rules that govern international players who sign as teenagers, so a strict financial bidding war was not going to determine his destination. Instead, his decision was largely determined by both location (West Coast teams were thought to be more desirable) and proposed usage.

In 2016, his last complete baseball season, Ohtani hit .322 and blasted 22 home runs. On the mound, he posted a 10-4 record in 20 starts and a 1.86 earned run average. Those statistics drew comparisons to Babe Ruth, who in 1918 was the last player to pitch enough innings to qualify for an ERA title and have more than 400 plate appearances.

The Fighters typically play Ohtani three games in a row in the outfield and allow him a day off before he pitches, manager Hideki Kuriyama told “60 Minutes” earlier this month.

“He’s so talented,” Kuriyama said on the program. “It’s really tough to use him the right way, with the right balance.”