It sounds as if the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes has come down to just four teams, and the Chicago Cubs are one of them and remain in the hunt.
The story of the off-season has been the battle to earn the services of 2-time MVP, Shohei Ohtani. Jeff Passan believes it is just now a four horse race. Here’s what he had to say from his article on ESPN:
The Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox and New York Mets, who were among the initial group of suitors, have turned their attention to other players, sources said. Among those confirmed by sources to be still in the bidding: the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays and Angels. The San Francisco Giants have long had a fondness for Ohtani, though where they stand in these sweepstakes is unknown.
As the list of teams still looking to sign Shohei Ohtani continues to dwindle, it is a great sign to still see the Cubs on the list. It has been expected all off-season they would be in on him until the very end just as they were when he initially was posted from the NPB in 2017.
In this same piece by Passan, he says the contract Shohei Ohtani will eventually sign “will surge well beyond $500 million.” One of his other sources said he believes Ohtani will receive an offer over $550 million and a different source believes it could even reach $600 million. Currently, his Angel teammate, Mike Trout, holds the record contract with just over $425 million, but it seems Shohei is well on his way to taking that mantle.
Among the remaining Shohei Ohtani suitors, the biggest threat to the Cubs’ pursuit may be the Los Angeles Dodgers. They have also been very fond of the two way star since his move to the states and have the same level of financial rescouces as the Chicago. In the past, he has said about wants to be on the West Coast, but he is also tired of losing and there has not been a more consistent NL team over the last decade than the Dodgers.
Toronto is a bit of an underdog but can’t be forgotten. They have been building a solid roster and have been on a good run over the last few years. They have also shown a willingness to spend more money recently. The Angels are a bit interesting. They have not won anything with the two best players in baseball, but he has made his home there since 2017 and could look to stay comfortable should they fork over the big contract. In the end, it seems we are nearing a resolution and finding out the winner of the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes. Hopefully, that’ll be the team on the north side of Chicago.
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