(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Shohei Ohtani is, quite likely, the best and most talented free agent in MLB history.
It’s not a coincidence that he is about to sign the priciest contract in the league, expected to surpass $500 million.
When the offseason started, lots of teams dreamed of signing him and had at least a realistic chance: the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Chicago Cubs, the Los Angeles Angels, the San Francisco Giants, the New York Mets, the Seattle Mariners, the Texas Rangers, the San Diego Padres, the New York Yankees, the Toronto Blue Jays, and the Boston Red Sox kept tabs on him.
Naturally, with each passing day, some teams see their chances increase and others are forced to pivot to other targets because they don’t want to bid that much money.
It is believed that the Rangers, Mets, Yankees, Mariners, and Padres, among others, are out of the race.
MLB insider Bob Nightengale reported that the Cubs are seeing their chances decrease, too, and named the remaining finalists.
“The Chicago Cubs’ optimism of landing Shohei Ohtani has now significantly waned, one high-ranking executive said, leaving the LA Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants as the likely finalists,” he tweeted.
The Chicago Cubs’ optimism of landing Shohei Ohtani has now significantly waned, one high-ranking executive said, leaving the LA Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants as the likely finalists.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 5, 2023
It appears to be a four-team race between the Dodgers, the Giants, the Blue Jays, and the Angels.
Ohtani, a two-time MVP award winner who posted a 1.066 OPS with 44 home runs in 2023 while also sporting a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts from the mound, is apparently still considering his old team, the Angels, even though they couldn’t even get him to the playoffs in six years.
The Dodgers are considered the favorites by many, and the Blue Jays are slowly getting more traction.
Stay tuned, because a decision could come this week.
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