Baseball fans around the world may soon find out who Shohei Ohtani will be playing for next season — and Giants fans will certainly be waiting with bated breath.
Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith reported Friday, citing industry sources, that free agent negotiations with the Japanese two-way star are in the final stages, with a handful of MLB teams planning to play Ohtani in Los Angeles this weekend. It was reported that he was scheduled to meet with his representative. Process knowledge.
San Francisco is estimated to be one of the few teams on the field, but the team’s current standing in Ohtani’s free agency sweepstakes is reportedly unknown.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox and New York Mets are all eyeing other players on the market, but as of Friday, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs… , the Toronto Blue Jays and Angels are still in the bidding process, citing sources.
“The San Francisco Giants have long favored Ohtani, but it’s unclear where they rank in the sweepstakes,” Passan wrote.
That might not be a bad thing, as negotiations are reportedly at a dead end. The Giants will respect Ohtani’s desire for privacy after Passan reported last month that the superstar intended to foreclose on the organization if his meetings with the team were leaked. He may be keeping silent because of this.
But San Francisco’s desire to sign Ohtani wasn’t all that private, as MLB Network’s John Morosi revealed during an appearance on Hot Stove earlier this week.
“According to sources, the Giants are ready and are putting all their heart and money into acquiring either Shohei Ohtani or Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the coming weeks,” Morosi said.
It remains to be seen whether Ohtani or Yamamoto, the Giants’ Japanese pitching target, will end up in San Francisco. But Giants fans will likely get an answer within the next few days.
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