The Cubs Are In on Shohei Ohtani, according to Jed Hoyer
Since Ohtani and his team are said to value secrecy over transparency, the Ohtani sweepstakes was particularly unique.
There are now just five teams left in the field, according to reports: the Dodgers, Angels, Blue Jays, Cubs, and Giants.
Ohtani is “rumored” to have just visited with the Jays, and there were “hints” that he had previously met with the Giants.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts openly acknowledged that his staff just met with Ohtani, refusing to adopt a covert approach.
Though, in general, information has been more elusive than in a normal free agency, Hoyer felt obliged to respond to today’s reporting.
He claimed that Ohtani’s representatives had not provided them with a “status check,” but he would not go into any detail about the club’s intentions.
When questioned earlier today about talks with Ohtani, manager Craig Counsell said, “I have not,” according to Meghan Montemurro for the Chicago Tribune.
He reiterated, “I have not,” in response to the question of whether Ohtani had met with the front office.
According to a roster site, the Cubs have a $178 million salary at the moment. Based on the data at Cot’s Baseball Contracts, that amounts to $25 million less than their club high payroll of $203 million.
Ohtani is anticipated to demand a contract with an average yearly salary in the $40–50 million range, yet it makes sense that the Cubs would likely be prepared to spend more than they have in the past for a player with his caliber of potential.
In addition to his skill on the field, he is a well-known international celebrity who might bring in additional money for his next club through higher ticket and merchandise sales as well as better ratings.
Atlanta is one team that appears to be facing the opposite situation. Jon Morosi of MLB.com recently revealed that the team was “actively involved” in the Ohtani offer.
According to Justin Toscano in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, when asked about the club’s interest in Ohtani, he stated that Jarred Kelenic is the only position player they have looked at this offseason.
Anthopoulos reports that they are now satisfied with their lineup and group of position players after acquiring Kelenic earlier this week.
However, in a statement to the media today, President for Baseball Operations Alex Anthopoulos appeared to refute that.
There has been a prevalent belief since the commencement of free agency that the market will remain stagnant until two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani signs who is anticipated to be the biggest contract is MLB history.
This has been the situation as additional rumors circulated on Tuesday during the Nashville winter meetings. Jed Hoyer, the president of baseball operations for the Cubs, took issue with a specific USA Today piece.
Ohtani, who played for the Angels in 2021 and won the American League MVP award the previous season, is most likely to sign a deal with the Dodgers. In the 2022 MVP poll, he came in second.
Ohtani seems to prefer to keep any and all rumors regarding his situation under wraps, but Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts did reveal some information on Tuesday. Ohtani and the organization met “a couple days ago” at Dodger Stadium, according to Roberts.
“Am I able to say that?” Roberts enquired. “I believe that we did indeed meet with him. To be honest, I don’t want to. Nevertheless, we had a good conversation when we met with Shohei. I believe everything went smoothly.
“He is an extremely unique player. However, he’s a self-sufficient individual who will ultimately act in his own best interests and where she feels most at ease.”
Ohtani is said to have also had meetings with the Giants and Blue Jays. Regarding Ohtani’s potential return to Anaheim, reporters questioned Ron Washington, the new manager of the Angels.