Chicago Cubs Not Among Realistic Landing Spots for Ohtani, MLB Insider Says

It seems unlikely that the Chicago Cubs will have a realistic shot at signing 2021 AL MVP Shohei Ohtani, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

The Chicago Cubs spent roughly $300 million last winter on free agents Dansby Swanson, Jameson Taillon, Cody Bellinger, Trey Mancini, Drew Smyly and others. Upon the conclusion of an impressive 2023 season that has the club right in the thick of a playoff chase, many believe that the Cubs will continue to spend this offseason.

2021 American League MVP Shohei Ohtani will be highly sought after, and could be in the market for the richest contract in baseball history. 

But while one MLB analyst believes the Cubs will be in play for the services of Ohtani, a top news-breaker and insider doesn't think so.

In a recent episode of the Jack Vita Show, longtime national baseball writer for USA Today Bob Nightengale listed the four teams that he believes will realistically have a shot at signing Ohtani.

"Probably three or four (teams will truly be in play for Ohtani)," Nightengale told the Jack Vita Show. "Not many. I mean, when you get the high price tag, there's never many teams involved. I mean, obviously, you've got the Angels, you've got the Dodgers. The Padres always spend wildly so I'll throw them in there, and the San Francisco Giants. [The Giants] probably need him more than anybody, because they need to sell tickets. The attendance is down. The city hasn't been the same since the pandemic. So I'll go those four teams."

The Cubs were not among the teams Nightengale listed.

"He's not interested in New York or anything else," Nightengale said. "He did have the Cubs on his original list. Obviously, he didn't sign there. He had Texas on his original list; didn't sign there. But he likes the (West Coast) lifestyle. He doesn't go out. (He) just eats and sleeps baseball. Recently, I think a month ago the Angels were in New York. So all the New York writers asked Ohtani, 'Hey, what do you think about New York City?' He goes, 'I don't know. I went to the stadium on the team bus. I went home on the team bus. I never went out into the city at all.' And that's him. He just likes to focus everything on baseball. He eats and sleeps in his condo, and that's it."

Not only is Ohtani allegedly uninterested in living in a big city like New York City or Chicago, but the 29 year-old also appears to appreciate the proximity of the West Coast to his native country, Japan.

"He (wants) fans from Japan to be able to fly in," Nightengale said. "You go to a place like New York, you add five hours to that flight."

If the Cubs are out of the picture for Ohtani, the club will have to shift its sights elsewhere, if Jed Hoyer's front office wants to continue to use free agency to build a winner on the north side of Chicago. Other top soon-to-be free agents include Sonny Gray, Matt Chapman, Blake Snell, Aaron Nola and the Cubs' own Cody Bellinger.

You can catch the full conversation with Bob Nightengale on the Jack Vita Show here:

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