Every MLB team is dreaming of signing superstar Shohei Ohtani, but a few key teams are falling out of the free agent sweepstakes.
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MLB's winter meetings are typically one of the craziest times of the year when it comes to free agent signings, trades and rumors. That hasn't necessarily happened the last few days in Nashville, because the top of the free agent market hasn't had any legitimate movement just yet.
And, yes — while we're talking about a handful of players, the one at the top of the food chain is reigning AL MVP Award winner Shohei Ohtani.
Most major Hot Stove moves have been at a standstill as everyone waits to see where the two-way superstar decides to sign. What is his market looking like at the moment, though? According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, four teams are still seriously in the running for Ohtani: the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, San Francisco Giants and Toronto Blue Jays.
One team Nightengale didn't include in this group is the Chicago Cubs. They've been pursuing Ohtani, but Nightengale's sources make it seem as if the club's chances of landing him are slim:
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
Could there be a mystery team involved, since Ohtani and his camp want to keep his free agency as private as possible? If there is, it doesn't sound as if it'll be either the New York Mets or New York Yankees. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that Ohtani has said he can't imagine himself playing in New York.
When could news of a decision from Ohtani hit the internet? MLB Network's Jon Morosi said Monday that a decision could be coming this week. It'll be good to have a resolution here, especially since that likely would mean other top players will start reaching agreements with other teams as well. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that a decision will come soon enough to make the winter meetings completely hectic and wonderful like they typically are.
