The 2023 MLB Winter Meetings in Nashville, TN should have the tagline: “The Shohei Ohtani Show.” All eyes in the baseball world are on Nashville and Shohei Ohtani as the future Hall of Famer decides his baseball future.
Here’s what we know so far:
- Ohtani is likely to make a choice on his next team by the end of the week according to reports.
- Almost every team in Major League Baseball has “checked in” on the two-time American League MVP. The incumbent Los Angeles Angels, the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, and San Francisco Giants are the clubs most tied to the slugger.
- The Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, and New York Mets have shifted their focus from the slugger, reports ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
- Ohtani’s contract is expected to eclipse $600MM in total value.
Got all that? It’s a lot to follow and it’s seemingly ever changing. To make it easier, let’s compile all the Ohtani news in one place, okay? Okay! Here’s a running thread of Shohei Ohtani rumors (note: the most recent rumor is at the top):
Shohei Ohtani Rumors: A Running Thread
Monday | 12/4/2023
Blue Jays are also aggressively pursuing Ohtani, per multiple sources. (9:45 PM)
Where there’s smoke there’s fire? MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand believes Ohtani returns to the Angels (9:45 PM)
Mark Feinsand on the #Angels and Shohei Ohtani:
“I think the Angels are very much in this. And in the last 24 hours, I’ve had several people they tell me they think he will ultimately go back to the Angels.” https://t.co/4EpUFVyp4h
— Beyond The Halo (@BeyondTheHalo) December 5, 2023
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Back to Orange County? ESPN’s Buster Olney seems to think Ohtani’s return to the Angels makes a ton of sense. (7:00 PM)
Only Shohei Ohtani seems to know where he’s going to sign, leaving everyone else to guess. One player agent thinks he’s going back to the Angels, because of money, sure, but also because he is devoted to routine and no organization would offer him more autonomy than the Angels.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) December 4, 2023
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Jon Heyman of the New York Post believes Shohei Ohtani will wait until after this week to sign with a team. LINK (3:54 PM)
Scribe Bob Nightengale Believes Ohtani Signs with the Dodgers
Bob Nightengale’s Shohei Ohtani prediction pic.twitter.com/62oKNRRWjM
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) December 4, 2023
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Braves Engaged with Ohtani (10:43 AM)
Sources: Braves are among the teams still engaged with Shohei Ohtani’s camp, as I reported in this @MLBNetwork segment. @MLB pic.twitter.com/lP4lISzttN
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 4, 2023
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Sunday | 12/3/2023
Ohtani’s Decision Timeframe
Shohei Ohtani is likely to decide on a team within the next week, according to one source engaged with the top end of the free-agent market. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 3, 2023
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