Shohei Ohtani Rumors: NL Powerhouse Not Expected To Be In On Former Angels Star

One less suitor for Ohtani it seems.

As teams wait for free against Shohei Ohtani to make his choice for next season, we continue to get different rumors each day. There could be smoke to distract us from what is really going on, or there could be legitimate rumors telling us a story.

The two-way superstar is expected to break the MLB record for a contract, and we could see a bidding war unlike anything before. His value to a franchise can’t be overstated, and this is one of the more closely watched free agencies in sports history.

MLB insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today is reporting that one team that was rumored to be in on Ohtani, is now looking elsewhere.

“The New York Mets have their eyes on Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, believing they have no realistic chance to land Ohtani”

Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today

If true, this is an interesting turn of events since the Mets were expected to be one of the biggest competitors for Ohtani this winter. They have the most money in the league, but maybe the geographical concerns for the two-way superstar were real.

New York could have been used to drive up the price from some of the other teams, but maybe they wanted to get ahead of things elsewhere. If they really aren’t trying to go after Ohtani, then they would be better served to deal with matters that pertain to them.

Other teams such as the Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers all seem to have major interest in Ohtani still. With these teams being aggressive to land him, it seems like a good bet that he will leave the Angels.

Any of the situations above offer him a better chance to win consistently more so than the Halos, and Ohtani has been clear about his desire to win at the highest level. It could see him jumping ship, and the Angels would then be left at square one with their roster.

No matter how this offseason plays out, Ohtani is the center of focus for every team involved. Until he makes his free agency decision, the teams in on him will be waiting around.