Shohei Ohtani is the biggest free agent available at present. As per rumors, every team in the league tried their luck in landing the two-time MVP. But very few teams are in final contention to sign him. The city rivals of the Los Angeles Angels, the Dodgers, are the favorite to win the bid. But then there’s the Canadian team, the Toronto Blue Jays, who are making a lot of noise and getting ready to welcome the Unicorn.
However, if Shohei Ohtani wants to make the postseason and also win the World Series, he’ll have to be careful while making the decision. All these years, he could not make the postseason with the Angels. Albeit, the Angels are also in line to retain him. But he might want to try elsewhere just to change his luck a bit teamwise. Moreover, whoever gets Ohtani must be the team that’s willing to offer him a long-term deal and the freedom to do what he wants. Anyway, the New York Yankees look like they have no chance to land Shohei Ohtani.
Why Yankees Can’t Sign Shohei Ohtani?
NJ Advance Media’s Randy Miller mentioned the Yankees did approach the agents of Shohei Ohtani for formality. But the Yankees beat writer also suggested that the team knows Shohei Ohtani never really wanted to play for the NY Yankees. In his Tuesday article, NJ.com’s Miller stated that the Yankees know very well that Ohtani’s mind didn’t change about not joining their team. It was his initial idea when he came from Japan to the USA, and it is still the same. Miller states, “The Bronx Bombers can read the tea leaves.” However, captain Aaron Judge said earlier that he would welcome the generational talent as his teammate anyway.
However, the owner Hal Steinbrenner, did not want to add too much pressure on their payroll, which was already American League’s most expensive payroll. Moreover, ESPN’s Jeff Passan mentioned the new contract of Shohei Ohtani can be worth as much as $600 million. But the MLB insider also said besides the Dodgers, Angels, and the Blue Jays, the Chicago Cubs also have a good chance to land Shohei Ohtani. But Randy Miller feels the Yankees never really entertained the idea of signing Shohei Ohtani. Whoever gets Ohtani will have to deal with the fact that he won’t be able to pitch until 2025. He will also undergo Tommy John surgery soon.
The Two-Time MVP Deserves The Biggest Contract In MLB History
Presumably, the Unicorn will earn the biggest contract in MLB’s history. And why not? At the end of the 2023 season, he earned his second American League MVP. The two-way superstar narrowly missed the chance to win back-to-back MVPs last year. He could have been already a three-time MVP.
Moreover, the Japanese sensation has been putting up the numbers in the previous three seasons. It has been six years since the Unicorn made his MLB debut. The Los Angeles Angels have been the lucky team to enjoy the services of arguably the GOAT for all these years. But after six years, the time has come for other teams to try and land the two-way superstar. However, it is not going to be so easy to sort out.