Dodgers No. 1 Threat to Sign Shohei Ohtani Away from Angels

The Shohei sweepstakes will be closely watched this offseason.

Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani spent another October watching postseason baseball from the couch after another disappointing year in Anaheim. 

Six years into his brilliant career, the Japanese superstar still hasn't experienced one inning of playoff baseball much less a winning record. 

Several analysts have speculated his inevitable exit from the Big A but his next team may not be far away according to a team insider. 

"Yes. ... I think the Dodgers are in as good a place as any team concerning the pitch that they can sell him. I think it's just a question of how much money do they have and how much does that matter in the grand scheme of things. He's already by far and away the most marketable player in terms of dollars and cents in Major League Baseball. We would naive to think that Ohtani hasn't spent the last six years building up important relationships here. His agent is here. He has trainers here. You can't really get any closer than you are in Los Angeles."

via J.P Hoornstra, Dodgers Nation

The Mets remain heavily in the mix for Ohtani's services due to their deep pockets and ambitious owner Steve Cohen. 

Geography could pose a question for Ohtani, not to mention that Queens also spent the postseason watching other teams from home. 

LA on the other hand just completed their fourth 100-win campaign in five years and won yet another NL West crown in 2023. 

Such consistent winning is a foreign concept for Ohtani at the MLB level but a move to the Dodgers could easily change that. 

This year's WBC MVP experienced meaningful baseball for the first time on American soil after his Japan team beat the Americans for the international crown. 

In order to experience the same at the club level, a move on the freeway could be just what the doctor ordered.