Shohei Ohtani MLB rumors: Who's in, who's out on the two-way Japanese phenom?
Gauging the interest of all 30 teams on Shohei Ohtani
On Friday, the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters posted two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani. You can read more about what that means here, but the crux of it is that Ohtani has until the evening of Dec. 22 to find a big-league team.
We've already judged each team's chances of landing Ohtani. Now it's time to do something different and more practical: rounding up all the reports linking teams to Ohtani. Obviously publicly stated interest doesn't mean a team is serious abut Ohtani, and having no publicly stated doesn't mean a team is completely out, either. This is just a way of showing how widespread the interest is -- and of illustrating the competitiveness of his market.
The teams are listed in alphabetical order.
Shohei Ohtani Sweepstakes
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| The Diamondbacks did not show their hand either way, though Ohtani has ruled them out. | |
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| Ohtani will not go to the Braves, who, it should be noted, were recently punished for improprieties in the international free-agent market. | |
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| The Orioles also have not announced their interest in Ohtani. Baltimore, per usual operating procedures, spent the year trading away international bonus pool slots, suggesting they didn't think they had good odds to begin with. It is unclear if they remain in the mix. | |
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| The Red Sox had confirmed their interest, but they have been ruled out as a potential landing spot. | |
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| The Cubs haven't stated their interest, but did spend the season scouting Ohtani and are expected to make a pitch -- even though they don't have a ton of international bonus pool money to offer. They may still be in the mix despite his preference for the West Coast. | |
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| Rick Hahn and crew made a "long shot" run at Ohtani. Alas, they have been crossed off the list. | |
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| The Reds were said to have "serious interest" in landing Ohtani. The feeling, however, is not mutual as they have been crossed off the list. | |
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| Cleveland, too, intends to chase Ohtani. It is unclear if they are still in the mix. | |
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| No stated interest, and the Rockies have an uphill battle given their limited bonus pool. It is unclear if they are still in the mix. | |
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| General manager Al Avila has suggested the Tigers will not be Ohtani suitors. It is unclear if they remain in the mix. | |
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| Houston intends to put on the "full-court press" in pursuit of landing Ohtani. It is unclear if they remain in the mix. | |
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| No stated interest. The Royals are limited in what they can offer Ohtani financially. It is unclear if they are in the mix. | |
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| The Angels are interested. Their recent trade for Jim Johnson added to their international bonus pool, and is "earmarked" for their Ohtani pursuit. It is unclear if they are in the mix. | |
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| All signs point to the Dodgers being interested, and they are believed to be finalist. They do not appear to be the favorite, however. | |
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| Nope. | |
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| The Brewers were "very interested" in Ohtani, but Ohtani isn't interested in them. | |
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| Ohtani has ruled out the Twins given his preference for the West Coast. | |
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| The Mets have reportedly been told they are out of the running. | |
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| Obviously the Yankees want Ohtani, but they won't get him. They have been informed Ohtani will not sign with them because he prefers the West Coast. | |
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Athletics
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| Despite his preference for the West Coast, Ohtani has ruled out the A's as a potential destination. | |
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| The Phillies reportedly want Ohtani, too. It if unclear if they are still in the mix. | |
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| The Pirates are out of the race. Ohtani prefers the West Coast. | |
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| The Padres are in hot pursuit of Ohtani and they will get a face-to-face meeting. | |
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| The Giants have reportedly been named one of the finalists for Ohtani's services. | |
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| Jerry Dipoto says the M's will break out the "big guns" in their effort to land Ohtani, and, as of Sunday, they are reportedly among the finalists. | |
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| The Cardinals did not go public with their interest. Either way, Ohtani has crossed them off his list. | |
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| The Rays were hopeful their willingness to let Ohtani play both ways would up their odds of landing him. Alas, he prefers the West Coast and has ruled them out. | |
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| The Rangers have the most money to offer Ohtani, and have been after him "for years." They are still in the mix to sign him. | |
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| The Blue Jays did not make the final cut given Ohtani's preference for the West Coast. | |
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| The Nationals were far from the favorites due to their limited bonus pool, and sure enough, Ohtani ruled them out. | |
















