Who will win the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes?
The GIST: The Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes rages on. MLB’s biggest star is remaining tight-lipped about his future home, fueling a frenzy of rumors, social media investigations, and the hardest-hitting questions as the clock ticks on his free agency decision.
The context: A three-time MVP (among countless other accolades), Ohtani is the biggest name in baseball. And although the two-way star won’t be able to pitch next year, he’s still expected to command the largest contract in the sport’s history.
- Plus, what’s supposed to be a busy stretch for offseason MLB deals has been eerily quiet while teams wait on Ohtani. Expect his looming inking to give way to a flurry of moves. Dun dun dun…
What we know: More than we did on Monday. Aware that Ohtani and his agent will reportedly hold it against teams should news of their meetings leak out, squads are understandably keeping things hush hush, but reports indicate that Ohtani met with the Toronto Blue Jays at their Florida Spring Training complex on Monday.
- LA Dodgers manager Dave Roberts also surprisingly spilled some beans yesterday, confirming that the current Ohtani frontrunners met with the superstar for “two to three hours” at Dodger Stadium a few days ago.
What’s next: It seems only the notoriously mysterious Ohtani knows, but the industry consensus is still that he’ll make a decision within the week. The world is watching.
