Shohei Ohtani cleaned out his locker at Angel Stadium the other day. His agent said not to read anything into it and that he'll still be with the team during its final homestand of the season, but, frankly, how could you not read into it? It's like when Gerrit Cole spoke about the Astros in the past tense immediately after Houston lost Game 7 of the 2019 World Series. Sure, there's a chance Ohtani will re-sign with the Angels, but it's sure looking like he won't.
Ohtani, of course, is a baseball unicorn, and he's coming off perhaps the most exceptional three-year stretch in the history of the sport. We've never seen anything like this, and if not for what Aaron Judge did last season, Ohtani would be looking at a third straight MVP this year. His free agency was already set to be one of the most anticipated and unique in baseball history. Now it's about to become one of the most complicated, too.
Heading into his historic free agency, Ohtani looked poised to receive a record contract. After all, he's two players in one! However, he's now dealing with two injuries, one of which will almost certainly require a second Tommy John surgery, likely keeping him off the mound until 2025. And he probably won't be available as a hitter until May at the earliest, either. So, that record deal might not set a record after all.
Don't get me wrong. Ohtani's still gonna command a massive contract. Everyone saw what he did while healthy over the past three seasons, and the marketing/promotional potential that comes with signing him will be tremendous. There will be a team (or multiple teams) that weigh the pros and cons of signing him and decide that not having him as a hitter until May or as a pitcher at all next season is still worth it.
Some fans see the Yankees as an obvious fit and think there's no reason for them not to make a run at him. I'm not one of them. I actually think it would be a terrible idea for the Yankees to go after Ohtani, especially for the amount of money they'd likely overpay to get him. He can't pitch next year, so they'd still need to get another pitcher regardless, and they already have a DH. They have a lot of money and they're the Yankees, so they're automatically gonna be tied to every high-profile free agent, but in this case, I think it'd be a mistake.
Personally, I think the Yankees' offseason focus should be on two other players--Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Cody Bellinger. Yamamoto is a 25-year-old starting pitcher who will likely be posted this winter and will be highly sought-after. Bellinger, meanwhile, is a left-handed hitter, and he can play center field next season while Jasson Dominguez rehabs from his Tommy John, then they could move him to left or even first base if Anthony Rizzo leaves as a free agent in 2025.
Anyway, back to Ohtani. He's open to teams on the East Coast, which greatly increases his list of potential suitors. An East Coast team that's recently entered the mix is Boston. And, I have to admit, I can see it. The only issues I foresee with it for the Red Sox are the fact that they already have Justin Turner at DH (although, I think he's on a one-year deal), and signing Ohtani would mean they'd have to keep Yoshida in left even though they aren't enamored with his defense. Imagine the coup it would be for whoever replaces Chaim Bloom in Boston, though!
Likewise, you know one of the reasons Steve Cohen cleared out payroll at the trade deadline was so the Mets would have plenty available to go after Ohtani and still get closer to the luxury tax threshold. The Mets are one team I can actually see making the big investment knowing the return on it won't come until 2025. They're also the one team I can see saying "Ohtani's our regular DH," then figuring out the rest.
Or, Ohtani could just stay in Southern California and go to the Dodgers. They have J.D. Martinez at DH, but he's capable enough in the outfield that he could move to left. And, although he obviously wouldn't be able to help the Dodgers' rotation next season, they like to stockpile starting pitchers. Which is a good thing, since Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler can't seem to stay healthy, and it looks like Julio Urias is a second starter they'll be moving on from because of his legal problems.
There's one other team I can realistically see making a serious Ohtani push. It's the other team that was in the running for him when he first came over from Japan. The Seattle Mariners. He's already familiar with the city and its fans from playing against them in the division, and the Mariners have seen what he can do after facing him so much. Plus, the Mariners are looking at a second straight playoff berth this season, something he's never experienced in six years with the Angels.
But do you really think the Angels will let him go without a fight? They had the chance to move him at the trade deadline and at least get something out of it, but they chose not to. Still, Trout is locked up long-term, and you know they'd love to make sure they lock up Ohtani long time, as well. The Angels were also really the only team willing to let him do everything his way when he first came over, which is one of the big reasons why they were the team he picked when he came over. So, they're the only organization where he knows he'll be able to do things his way.
The Angels are also the only MLB team Ohtani has ever known, which could work either for or against them. They've had two of the most dynamic players in baseball on their roster together for the last six years and not only haven't made the playoffs, they haven't finished with a winning record. So, we'll get to see how much value Ohtani places on that. If winning is important, I doubt he stays with the Angels. Although, for their part, the Angels know how much he means to their franchise, so I can see them overspending to keep him and make sure he and Trout stay together.
One other team just entered my mind. I don't think this one is likely, but they've got plenty of money to spend, so it wouldn't surprise me, either. The Washington Nationals. They currently don't have a franchise player. Problem solved! Although, the winning thing comes into play here, as well. Because that doesn't seem like something that'll be happening regularly in DC anytime soon.
If this were a few years ago, I'd say Ohtani will definitely sign with an AL team so that he can DH. That's not an issue anymore, which opens up so many more possibilities. Or does it? We'll see how much his injuries/rehab time affect his number of suitors and/or what they end up offering him. And, of course, where Ohtani ultimately ends up. Which doesn't look like it'll be Anaheim.
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