Shohei Ohtani Rumors: New NL West Team Plans to be 'All In' on Angels Superstar

There’s clearly going to be a bidding war for the two-way superstar.

We’re already a few weeks into 2023, or as we can also call it, the year of Shohei Ohtani. The Angels two-way superstar is entering his final year under contract, and will be a free agent at the end of this season.

There’s already been a lot of talk about what Ohtani could get in terms of a contract. Agents around the game of baseball have predicted he could get upwards of $500 million, which is why teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers have been especially quiet this offseason.

However, there may be another team ready to go all-in on Ohtani, and they’re not only in the same division as the Dodgers, they’ve also shown a willingness to spend as much as anyone to put together a World Series contender. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that the San Diego Padres are ready to make a push for Ohtani next offseason.

"The worst-kept secret in baseball is that the Los Angeles Dodgers are trying to stay below the luxury tax to jump in with all of their might to sign Shohei Ohtani as a free agent after the season.

Their stiffest competition?

The San Diego Padres, who also plan to be all in."

While the Angels had to know that there were going to be tons of suitors for Ohtani, it can’t feel good that two teams in Southern California are ready to go all-in for him. These two teams have some of the highest payrolls in baseball, and are likely to do just about whatever it takes to lure him to their team. Also, add in the fact that the New York Mets have been linked to Ohtani, and that’s about the three highest spenders in all of baseball, maybe outside of the New York Yankees — and they'll likely make a push, too.

Whatever experts predict Ohtani will get this offseason, we may have to prepare for it to be even higher. We’ve never seen a player like Ohtani, and we may never see a bidding war like the one we’ll see at the end of this season. Buckle up, Angels fans.