Cardinals Reportedly Not Among Favorites To Sign Shohei Ohtani; Should Club Make Attempt?

Where will Ohtani play in 2024?

The St. Louis Cardinals aren't necessarily known for splashy free-agent acquisitions. 

Arguably the biggest free agent in North American professional sports is set to hit the market this upcoming offseason when Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani becomes an unrestricted free agent. At this point, there's no way to know where he'll go, or even if he'll leave the Angels. But, that hasn't stopped people from speculating what his plans are. 

It's unsurprising as Ohtani is without a doubt the most unique free agent in MLB history. He's not only one of the best hitters in baseball, but one of the best pitchers too. Throughout his career, he very well could win a Cy Young Award and also lead the league in home runs. He's special and will command the largest deal in MLB history without a doubt. At this point, the Cardinals are on the outside looking in on the Ohtani sweepstakes as the Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Francisco Giants reportedly are the favorites for the star, according to the New York Post's Jon Heyman. 

"Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani hasn’t revealed his intentions, but some see three teams as most likely to vie for baseball’s best player, maybe ever: Dodgers, Giants, and the incumbent Angels," Heyman said. "(There’s a belief he isn’t all about money and will get the biggest contract ever anyway, and that he wants to win and may prefer the West Coast).

"The Dodgers cleared the financial room and are the most consistent winners. The Angels intend to try to re-sign him, although they may need to show Ohtani they can make the playoffs. The Giants have the $360M left from the Aaron Judge and Carlos Correa pursuits and are in excellent shape financially (and maybe in even better shape with the A’s almost sure to be leaving for Las Vegas)."

At points during the 2023 season, speculation has been floated about a potential pairing between Ohtani and the Cardinals. At this point, a move seems unlikely, although it is just June so there's truly no way to know for sure what will happen. Ohtani certainly could help the reeling Cardinals, but he likely will end up being too expensive for St. Louis. 

Baseball fans in general should be keeping an eye out on Ohtani as his decision could change the big league landscape. 

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