MLB insider feels Shohei Ohtani could still re-sign with the Angels: "I think he is going to value comfort"
The Los Angeles Angels are desperately trying to re-sign Shohei Ohtani in the offseason. However, he is the most anticipated free agent the league has seen in quite some time.
Every team in the league will do their best to make a pitch to land the two-way phenom. At the time, the Los Angeles Dodgers have the best odds to sign the superstar.
While the Dodgers are the frontrunners, Los Angeles still has optimism. MLB insider Jon Heyman is not ruling out Ohtani returning to the Angels.
"I think he's going to value comfort... I'm not ruling out [a return to] the Angels..." stated Heyman.
Heyman likes Los Angeles' chances at re-signing Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani wants to play for a West Coast team, and Heyman believes he will value the comfort of staying in a place he knows well.
Ohtani has been in LA for six seasons now. He has made the area his home and may not want to start that process again in a new location. These decisions are especially important when the player in question is from a different country.
Ohtani is coming off an elbow procedure to fix his torn UCL and will not be able to pitch during the 2024 season. However, this has not impacted his free agency as he will be whichever team's designated hitter and return to the mound in 2025.
If not the Angels, where does Shohei Ohtani go?
There is no denying the special season Shohei Ohtani had in 2023. While missing the season's final month, he still led the AL in home runs (44). He played in 135 games this season, hitting .304/.412/.654 with 44 home runs, 95 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases.
On offense alone, Ohtani will bring a ton of value to whichever team he signs to. The question is, where is he going to sign?
While many are on the Dodgers or Angels to sign him, a few other teams have thrown their name in the hat.
One of these teams is the Chicago Cubs. They will be coming into the 2024 season with Craig Counsell as manager. He is coming over from the Milwaukee Brewers and is looking to turn this organization around.
With free agency just starting, talks should start to heat up soon. It will be interesting to see where Ohtani ends up when this is all done.