The suspense will either ððūðð us or make us stronger. Soon we’ll find out which.
The baseball industry has been waiting patiently for free agent two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani to decide on his next destination, but now it seems we are close to learning his choice. Ohtani has met with a handful of finalists still bidding to sign him, and is nearing a decision.
MLB insider Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported Ohtani is expected to make his decision by the end of this weekend.
News: Shohei Ohtani is expected to decide on his free-agent destination before the end of the weekend, as I reported today on @MLBNetwork. @MLB https://t.co/OSxC0JdykF
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 6, 2023
That means we’re nearly at the finish line. Ohtani watch is almost done. It’s been fun, but a level of secrecy has made things very complicated.
The Angels are among Ohtani’s finalists according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, with four other teams pushing to land him as well. Many see the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers to be the favorites to sign him this winter.
If Ohtani does come back to the Angels, it will be due to his strong comfort level with the organization. The team has essentially allowed him to do whatever he wants with his schedule, and he has become accustomed to that degree of latitude at the ballpark.
A return to Anaheim would also be a major risk. He has expressed his desire to win at the highest level, and the Angels haven’t been able to field a winning team since he joined their roster.
Ohtani re-signing would represent a ton of faith in an organization that hasn’t shown much to inspire confidence in its future. For some players, that might be an acceptable price to pay for freedom and comfort.
It would be shocking to insiders and outsiders alike if Ohtani ended up returning to Anaheim, but Angels fans would love it. He is beloved by a fan base that has had little else to root for since he arrived in 2018, and would surely welcome him back with open arms.
