Report: As prospective suitors move on, Ohtani’s fate with the Giants is “unknown.”

Report: As prospective suitors move on, Ohtani’s fate with the Giants is “unknown.”

Baseball fans will be glued to their phones all weekend long, waiting for updates on two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, thanks to some fresh information provided by ESPN MLB source Jeff Passan about the remaining teams competing in the Ohtani sweepstakes.

The Giants’ pursuit of Ohtani is unknown, as some possible suitors have withdrawn from the running and others are determined to sign the Japanese superstar.

“It would be foolish to count away any high-revenue team, though by her the field for Ohtani’s talents has winnowed, experts said,” Passan said on Friday.

“According to insiders, the teams who were initially interested in him—the Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, or New York Mets—have shifted their focus to other players.

It has been confirmed by sources that the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays, and Angels are still in the running.

“The San Francisco Giants have always harbored a fondness for Ohtani, though where they sit in these sweepstakes is unknown.” Passan revealed last month that Ohtani would hold discussions with teams accountable if they were leaked.

Naturally, unknown does not equate to out. Ohtani is rumored to want to keep his meetings with free agents confidential, so the Giants may be playing it low to honor that request.

The Giants have made no secret of their readiness to make a “all-in” play for the former Los Angeles Angels player.

The Giants are “devoting all of their heart and finances” to acquiring Ohtani or another elite free agent, starting ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, according to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi.

Ohtani made MLB history by winning the American League MVP award two times in a row in 2023, following up his stellar two-way campaign.

He has won the AL MVP unanimously twice in the last three seasons, making him the initial two-time unanimous MVP is MLB history.

On Saturday night, Republic High School football’s best season will come to an end. All that’s left to decide is if the Tigers will place second or win the state championship for their first ever.

At 7 p.m. on Friday at Faurot Field in Columbia, Republic (10-3) will play Cardinal Ritter (13-0) to win the Class 5 state title in the 2023 Show-Me Bowl.

The Tigers are participating in their first-ever football statewide championship game under the direction of third-year coach Ryan Cornelsen.

Over the last three weeks, it has defeated teams like Lebanon, Helias Catholic, and Webb City by dramatic one-score victories to get to this stage.

If the Republic hopes to win a title, it must defeat another sovereign authority. Having defeated Reeds Spring in the Class 3 state championship game the previous year, Cardinal Ritter is unbeaten since 2021.

The Lions from St. Louis have been dominant with a wealth of Division I talent for the most part of the season.

While the free-agent closer market is severely lacking in quality following Josh Hader, there may be another elite reliever available through trade.

The Guardians are reportedly open to trading right-hander Emmanuel Clase, 25, who has a five-year, $20 million contract that expires in 2026 and $10 million in team options for 2027 and 2028. Passan of ESPN reports this.

Despite blowing 12 saves and seeing his strikeout percentage drop from 28.4% to 21.2% annually in 2023, Clase led the Major League Baseball (MLB) in saves during the second consecutive year.

His age, age-appropriate contract, and repertoire make him a desirable alternative for teams in need of late-inning relief aid but unwilling to shell out the cash for Hader.

Numerous reports on Friday state that the Yankees and Padres are no longer discussing a deal for outfielder Juan Soto, at least not for now.

The Blue Jays, who are in talks with the Padres regarding the 25-year-old phenom, could benefit from this.

Toronto is supposedly still in the running for Shohei Ohtani, but in the unlikely event that the Blue Jays are unable to sign him, Soto—who becomes a free agency in 2024—would be a valuable addition.

Pitchers Alek Manoah, Bowden Francis, and Ricky Tiedemann may be included in a trade package that the Padres, who are rumored to be pitching vultures, would want.