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
Friday 12/8/2023
Nightingale with the hot tag to Jim SiriusXM’s Jim Bowden! (5:14 PM)
One more time: Ohtani is NOT in Toronto. There is no agreement anywhere. No decision is imminent. People need to stop lying and guessing. He has not made his decision. Again carry on.
— Jim Bowden⚾️🏈 (@JimBowdenGM) December 8, 2023
Or maybe he’s not on a plane! (5:11 PM)
Shohei Ohtani is NOT in Toronto.
Ohtani is NOT on a flight to Toronto.
Ohtani is at home in Southern California.— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 8, 2023
Ohtani is en route to Toronto, he has not signed with anyone reports Jon Morosi. Also he’s not going there for Pizza Pizza and some Molson XXX’s. (4:10 PM)
Sources: Shohei Ohtani is en route to Toronto today.
A representative of his agency, CAA, would not comment when asked about Ohtani’s travel plans.
At this hour, Ohtani does not have a signed agreement with any @MLB team. @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 8, 2023
Not so fast my friends! (2:15 PM)
Source tells me and @ShiDavidi there is at present no decision made by Shohei Ohtani, nor is there a timeline for a decision#BlueJays are a finalist. We’ll see where it leads.
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) December 8, 2023
Ohtani has not made a decision to sign with the Toronto Blue Jays, or any team, as of yet.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 8, 2023
Shohei to the Blue Jays “confirmed” from an LA news site. (2:00 PM)
More from Morosi, Toronto is a finalist. (9:09 AM)
My latest report on Shohei Ohtani, from @MLBNetwork moments ago. @MLB pic.twitter.com/449pQEWx7j
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 8, 2023
Today could be decision day for Ohtani, reports Jon Morosi. (8:39 AM)
Source: Shohei Ohtani’s decision is imminent, possibly as early as today. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 8, 2023
Thursday 12/7/2023
We’ve got one! The Dodgers have reportedly asked Joe Kelly about switching from No. 17, reports Bob Nightengale. (8:-05 AM)
Wednesday 12/6/2023
Uh oh, curveball! Former Chicago Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster, who is now a member of the media, chimes in with a “mystery team” being involved with Ohtani. (1:43 PM)
Just heard from an anonymous source that there is a secret team interested in Shohei Ohtani. Not yet sure if it is an AL or NL team but rumor has it is a team that hasn’t been mentioned yet but could be one of the teams that was . It’s an ongoing development in a complex market!
— RyanDempster (@Dempster46) December 6, 2023
Ohtani is likely to make a decision by the end of the weekend, reports Jon Morosi. (11:53 AM)
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays appear to be the finalists for Ohtani, reports USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. (7:05 AM)
Tuesday | 12/5/2023
Ohtani couldn’t see himself playing in New York, per Jon Heyman. (8:58 PM)
A clubhouse source says that Shohei Ohtani said he “couldn’t see himself playing in New York”, per @JonHeyman pic.twitter.com/WmhNsWWFP8
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) December 6, 2023
Cubs GM Jed Hoyer is pissed off with Bob Nightengale over reports the Cubs’ optimism has waned. LINK (7:10 PM)
The Cubs haven’t heard from Ohtani’s camp, reports Megan Montemuro. (5:42 PM)
Ohtani and his camp don’t want rumors getting out! Youse have been warned! (3:13 PM)
Ohtani and his agent don’t want news leaked of meetings with teams, say such leaks will be held against that team. And so many folks normalizing this instead of calling it out for what it is, pretentious BS. We all know he’s an incredible player. Just negotiate and pick a team.
— David O’Brien (@DOBrienATL) December 5, 2023
Ohtani met with the Los Angeles Dodgers recently at Dodger Stadium, confirmed by LA manager Dave Roberts. (2:30PM)
Dave Roberts says the Dodgers met with Shohei Ohtani at Dodger Stadium last week
— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) December 5, 2023
Chicago Cubs no longer believe they’re in the running for Ohtani. (12:43PM)
The Chicago Cubs’ optimism of landing Shohei Ohtani has now significantly waned, one high-ranking executive said, leaving the LA Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants as the likely finalists.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 5, 2023
Ohtani is believed to have met with Toronto Blue Jays officials on Monday in Dunedin, FL, per Ken Rosenthal. (12:30 AM)
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
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
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
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
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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