Ohtani free agency sweepstakes off to a clandestine start at MLB’s general manager meetings
FILE - Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani walks in the dugout during the ninth inning of the team's baseball game against the Detroit Tigers in Anaheim, Calif., Sept. 16, 2023. Ohtani, Cody Bellinger, Jordan Montgomery, Blake Snell and Aaron Nola were among the 130 players who became free agents Thursday, Nov. 2, as baseball's business season began the day following the Texas Rangers' first World Series title. Max Muncy, Joe Jim茅nez and Colin Rea gave up a chance to go free and agreed to new contracts with their teams.
Seattle Mariners president Jerry Dipoto speaks during the Major League Baseball's general manager meetings, Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, in Scottsdale, Ariz.
New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman speaks during the Major League Baseball's general manager meetings, Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Los Angeles Angels general manager Perry Minasian speaks during the Major League Baseball's general manager meetings, Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, in Scottsdale, Ariz.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) 无毛视频� The race to add two-way baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani in a blockbuster free agency deal is off to a clandestine start.
无毛视频淪pecial player, that无毛视频檚 all I无毛视频檒l say,无毛视频� said Chris Young, general manager of the World Series champion Texas Rangers.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e going to be interested in looking at everything that无毛视频檚 available that can make us better,无毛视频� New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said.
无毛视频淲e may ask some questions, but I can无毛视频檛 tell you we无毛视频檙e diving all in,无毛视频� Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown said.
All 30 Major League Baseball general managers have gathered this week at baseball无毛视频檚 GM meetings in Scottsdale. Privately, they无毛视频檙e surely discussing the developing Ohtani sweepstakes, which could cost the winning team upward of $500 million. But publicly, questions about the potentially historic bidding have been met with careful statements.
Even the team that employed the Japanese sensation the past six seasons 无毛视频� the Los Angeles Angels 无毛视频� doesn无毛视频檛 seem to have a good read on his future.
无毛视频淭here无毛视频檚 going to be a lot of attention on it and I understand why,无毛视频� Angels GM Perry Minasian said. 无毛视频淕reat player. We无毛视频檒l see how the offseason develops. We无毛视频檝e got our plan and we无毛视频檙e going to try to execute that plan and see where it leads us.无毛视频�
Ohtani is one of the most fascinating cases for baseball无毛视频檚 free agency system since it began in 1976.
He无毛视频檚 29 years old and just produced one of the best two-way seasons in MLB history, batting .304 with 44 homers while also having a 10-5 record on the mound with a 3.14 ERA.
It无毛视频檚 unclear how much value he无毛视频檒l provide as a pitcher in the coming seasons. He had Tommy John surgery in September for the second time in six years, and the list of pitchers who have successfully returned after having the procedure done twice is fairly short.
Recent World Series winner Nathan Eovaldi, Jameson Taillon and Daniel Hudson are a handful who have had success. Two-time All-Star Jason Isringhausen had the surgery three times and still came back to have a few more solid seasons. Current Dodgers star Walker Buehler 无毛视频� who recently had his second TJ surgery 无毛视频� hopes to join that group.
Even if Ohtani can无毛视频檛 contribute much on the mound, he无毛视频檚 one of the game无毛视频檚 elite hitters. He无毛视频檚 also a good enough athlete that he could be an option for first base or the outfield as he gets older.
There无毛视频檚 also an off-the-field component that can无毛视频檛 totally be quantified. Ohtani has reached a celebrity status that few other current baseball players can even imagine, and his arrival in any city would undoubtedly mean a huge boost for fan interest.
Instead of setting the free agent market this offseason, Ohtani is a market all his own.
无毛视频淗e brings so much to the game, so much excitement, he无毛视频檚 got a fan base, he无毛视频檚 an exciting player,无毛视频� said Brown, the Astros GM. 无毛视频淚 would love to have him, but are we going to go out and pursue Ohtani? We may ask some questions, but I can无毛视频檛 tell you we无毛视频檙e diving all in.无毛视频�
Then he said what pretty much every GM in Arizona was saying this week.
无毛视频淲e will definitely ask questions, though.无毛视频�
Ohtani is the crown jewel of this year无毛视频檚 free agent class, which appears a little short on franchise-altering players, particularly among hitters. Cody Bellinger is a former MVP who had a great bounce-back year with the Cubs. Four-time Gold Glove winner Matt Chapman is a quality third baseman. Tim Anderson is a two-time All-Star who is looking for a change of scenery.
The pitching scene is a little more robust, with veterans Aaron Nola, Sonny Gray, Jordan Montgomery and Japanese star Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the market
But none of them come close to bringing the juice 无毛视频� on or off the field 无毛视频� that Ohtani provides.
Still, a half-billion bucks? That无毛视频檚 a lot of money.
Former Angels teammate Mike Trout has the richest contract in the sport无毛视频檚 history at $426.5 million over 12 years, signed in 2019.
无毛视频淵ou don无毛视频檛 base an offseason on one single player,无毛视频� Minasian said. 无毛视频淵ou have to have Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, Plan D, so on and so forth. We无毛视频檙e going to work like we always we do. We无毛视频檙e going to be aggressive, we无毛视频檙e going to have a lot of conversations and see how everything goes.无毛视频�
The Seattle Mariners are among a handful of teams that would seem a logical fit for Ohtani, given the upward trajectory of the franchise, the city无毛视频檚 history with former Japanese star Ichiro Suzuki and it无毛视频檚 relatively large Asian population.
Seattle GM Jerry Dipoto agreed that the Mariners have a lot to offer 无毛视频� though he wasn无毛视频檛 specifically talking about Ohtani.
无毛视频淚 think that无毛视频檚 with any free agent courtship,无毛视频� Dipoto said. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 the one time in a baseball player无毛视频檚 life that you无毛视频檙e recruiting like a college program. You无毛视频檙e trying to sell your city, you无毛视频檙e trying to sell your vision, you无毛视频檙e trying to sell your people.无毛视频�
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