Could New York actually land Ohtani this offseason in a shocking move?
Things are going to get crazy this offseason.
It’s expected to be a very active offseason across baseball with multiple superstars likely on the move. The biggest star of all who more likely than not will be playing elsewhere in 2024 undoubtedly is Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani.
Ohtani will be a free agent and likely will land the first contract over $500 million in Major League Baseball history. At this point, it doesn’t appear as though he’s returning to the Angels so his offseason decision could be game-changing. The New York Mets have been linked to Ohtani on numerous occasions and realistically could land him this offseason, especially after the latest report from Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi.
“The biggest prize, of course, is Shohei Ohtani, and some industry chatter in recent weeks suggested he’d be more open to an East Coast club this time around, had taken notice of the Blue Jays’ player-development resources, and that the idea of adding a third country, Canada, to his prime fanbase carried some appeal for him,” Davidi said.
While Davidi specifically mentioned the Toronto Blue Jays, the fact that Ohtani could be more open to an East Coast team should excite Mets fans. The Mets have the most money to spend this offseason and although the club struggled in 2023, has a bright future. New York won 101 games in 2022 and has a similar roster. Ohtani won’t be able to pitch for most of 2024 but still could fill a hole as the club’s everyday designated hitter.
There’s sure to be plenty more rumors before Ohtani ultimately signs somewhere but Mets fans should be excited.
