With reports of Shohei Ohtani clearing his locker in his potential final season with the Los Angeles Angels, it may start to think that he will be in a different uniform next season. While a change of scenery may not hurt considering the years that the Angels have wasted on Ohtani. Here are five potential suitors that might be in the race for Ohtani.
Potential Suitors For Shohei Ohtani
New York Yankees
With their season coming soon to a conclusion, it’s becoming clearer that the Yankees need an upgrade to their starting rotation and lineup. They have not won a World Series for over 14 years now. Signing a once-in-a-generation talent like Ohtani could change the narrative for what this team is to become for the next couple of years. Not to mention signing Ohtani creates dynamic balance into a lineup full of righties. Ohtani’s swing is perfect for the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium. Overall, the Yankees need to consider going all-in for Ohtani if they want to become a dominant team once again.
Los Angeles Dodgers
There was some talk that the Dodgers were going to acquire Ohtani at some point during the trade deadline but nothing came to fruition. While that does not mean that they would stop pursuing a player like Ohtani. Never count the Dodgers out. They’re expected to be back in the race once the offseason hits. The team last offseason was not big spenders, so keep an eye on them to make a splash after the conclusion of the World Series. While Los Angeles is in need of another slugger, it might not look that way due to how much production the Dodgers are getting from their top key players like Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.
New York Mets
The 2023 season hasn’t gone the way the Mets expected to but that shouldn’t stop owner Steve Cohen from spending money from out of pocket. He wants to win badly and acquiring someone like Ohtani just shows how much better the Mets want to improve in the long-term. Ohtani benefits the Mets a lot if they were going to make a run at him. He would improve both their pitching rotation (once back from Tommy John surgery) and their offensive lineup. Their starting rotation this year went through the year with a combined ERA of 4.31. That just shows how bad their rotation has been all year long even after trading both Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer. Overall, signing Ohtani would provide a huge boost from both a hitting and pitching standpoint.
San Francisco Giants
The Giants are the perfect match for Ohtani, considering that San Francisco is on the West Coast. The organization is also best known for winning. They have done so by winning an MLB-best three World Series titles since 2010. Not to mention the Giants are desperate to acquire a superstar for their dynamic lineup. Back in the 2022 offseason, they attempted to sign stars such as Aaron Judge and Carlos Correa. Unfortunately, both players signed elsewhere. You can rest assured that the Giants are going to do everything in their power to sign Ohtani.
Seattle Mariners
Now this one is a surprising one. The Mariners are considered to be a dark horse for Ohtani. They’re one superstar away from winning the World Series within the next few years. Unfortunately, the Mariners are not big spenders like teams such as the Angels, Astros, and Rangers. Seattle is a small-market team in which they don’t spend a lot in luring superstars. But if they were going to spend big on someone, it would be Ohtani.
