MLB executive outlines Shohei Ohtani's pathway in free agency: "He wants to and will go with the Dodgers"
Over his relatively short time in the MLB, Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels has reached nearly every personal milestone that a big-league participant could ever hope for.
By the time he was 27, the Japanese sensation already had an MVP award, a Rookie of the Year honor, a Silver Slugger, and an All-Star designation. It's safe to say that the two-way pitching-hitting superstar is one of the most influential players of our time.
It, therefore, came as no surprise when several analysts projected that Shohei Ohtani will draw offers exceeding $500 million when his contract with the Los Angeles Angels expires after the 2023 season.
In a recent piece for ESPN, writer Kylie McDaniel spoke to several unnamed MLB insiders to try and shed some light on possible destinations for the 28-year-old.
While the richest teams in the league, such as the New York Mets and New York Yankees, are expected to put up the sweetest offers, one of the analysts in McDaniels' piece suggests Ohtani might not move so far.
Speaking to the ESPN writer about Ohtani's potential suitors, one of the anonymous analysts predicted that the Los Angeles Dodgers could be the team that Ohtani decides to join.
"I think he uses the Padres and Mets to run up the price, but he wants to and will go with the Dodgers."
Ohtani and the Angles agreed to a one-year deal worth $30 million to avoid arbitration this past offseason. The deal was taken by Angels fans as a sign that team owner Arte Moreno is not interested in putting up the necessary cash to retain Ohtani, even though the team inked center fielder Mike Trout to a mammoth 13-year, $426.5 million deal in 2019.
Shohei Ohtani's future is still uncertain
While fans love speculating about Shohei Ohtani's future, everything we have heard to date is based on rumor rather than fact. For Ohtani, the main goal is to continue performing at his best, so that his playoff-starved team can finally give its fans something to cheer about.
As for 2024, we can only keep guessing until the man of the hour makes his final decision on the matter.