After six impressive seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, Shohei Ohtani has reached the open market to become the most coveted free agent in MLB history.
The two-way superstar has drawn interest from a slew of teams, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are said to be highly motivated to bring him into the organization.
To this point in the offseason, Ohtani’s plans remain a mystery. There have been no reports suggesting he has visited any specific team in free agency.
That appears to be intentional as according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Ohtani has requested his free agency meetings be kept private:
If visits between Ohtani and a team are reported publicly, it will be held against the team, so the circles will be tiny and tight.
With Ohtani preferring to stay out of the spotlight, it makes sense that he would not want any of his free agency meetings leaked to the public. Interested teams have respected his wishes so far as they don’t want to hurt their chances of signing the generational talent.
While it is unclear which clubs have met with Ohtani this offseason, a recent report suggested he could sign a contract before the MLB Winter Meetings in early December.
The expectation is that Ohtani will receive a record-setting deal that should top $500 million. He could also sign a short-term contract with a record average annual salary if he prefers testing the market again to re-establish his value as a starting pitcher.
Shohei Ohtani makes MLB history with 2nd unanimous MVP Award
Ohtani was named the 2023 American League MVP winner after receiving all 30 first-place votes, becoming the first player in MLB history to unanimously win two MVP Awards. He won his first AL MVP in 2021 and was runner-up to New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge last year.
Ohtani hit a stellar .304/.412/.654 with 26 doubles, eight triples, 44 home runs, 95 RBI and 20 stolen bases in 599 plate appearances this past season (135 games). He went 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA, 4.00 FIP, 1.06 WHIP and 11.4 strikeouts per nine in 132 innings pitched on the mound (23 starts).
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