Shohei Ohtani will be highly sought after this winter, but some teams may ultimately not be the best fits for the former MVP.
The popular consensus around Major League Baseball is that Shohei Ohtani will leave the Los Angeles Angels this coming offseason, as he is set to hit the open market.
However, his value certainly took a hit when it was revealed that he had a torn UCL in his right elbow and would need Tommy John surgery, which ultimately will keep him from pitching in 2024.
Still, he should be a highly sought-after free agent, even after suffering his elbow injury. It is unknown at the moment which teams will be pursuing the two-way superstar, but there could very well still be a bidding war, even with Ohtani partially compromised.
Recently, Bleacher Report came out with a list of teams that would be the “6 worst fits” for Ohtani. On that list are teams such as the San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, and Angels.
In the article, Zachary D. Rymer lists reasons why each team could be a fit for Ohtani, as well as reasons why they may not be fits for the two-way superstar and former MVP.
All six teams certainly have the funds to add somebody like Ohtani to bolster their lineup and later their rotation once he fully recovers from Tommy John surgery. However, it is interesting to note that there are a few negating factors to each team.
In the case of the Red Sox, they recently fired President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom and are still searching for a replacement.
In the case of the Padres and Giants, the dimensions could factor into why the two teams may not be the best fits for the slugger and former MVP.
The Angels are the only organization he has known since making his Major League debut, but they have yet to reach the postseason since 2014, while the Yankees are in need of starting pitching and wouldn’t be able to use him as a pitcher next year.
Ohtani also has a career 27.00 ERA in the Bronx.
There are certainly perks and drawbacks for any team that signs Ohtani this winter. But the six teams listed in the article seem to be the so-called “worst fits” for the two-way star.
