Dodgers Rumors: Is Shohei Ohtani Telegraphing His Future in Free Agency?

Is it just a coincidence or something more?

One of the biggest stories to discuss day-in and day-out this baseball season is the impending free agency of Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani. He is scheduled to be a free agent this coming winter and should become the first $500 million plus man in baseball history. For now, he is a member of the Angels but many in the industry believe that he will leave the organization once the season is over and this is where the fun begins.

Ohtani has been linked to some of the biggest names in the sport like the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and New York Yankees. It makes sense for the biggest show in baseball to be talked about with some of the premier franchises in history. Plus these are just some of the only teams that can realistically afford his financial requirements. Some people believe that Ohtani already has an idea where he may want to play next season which makes some of his batting practice locations very interesting.  

For those keeping track, Ohtani has taken batting practice on the field in just three places so far this season: once at Yankee Stadium, once at Angel Stadium and now at Dodger Stadium.

Ohtani has rarely taken batting practice on the field before games in his MLB career. https://t.co/CosEp4P6tt

— Sarah Valenzuela (@Sarah_IsabelVee) July 8, 2023

As you can see in the tweet above, Ohtani has only taken batting practice in a few select locations. He has called Angel Stadium home since his arrival into the major leagues so he is quite familiar with that stadium. But the other two are interesting. 

Taking the batting practice only in Yankee Stadium and Dodger Stadium amid his free agency will get people talking, just like I am. Maybe Ohtani just felt like hitting in the historic stadiums? Or maybe he and his agent know it makes sense for him to do some extra marketing by hitting in two of the biggest markets across the country. 

We even got an update on the original tweet. 

Rarely taken batting practice on the field before a game, when media/fans can see* I should clarify. https://t.co/i7uhdF2dJM

— Sarah Valenzuela (@Sarah_IsabelVee) July 8, 2023

Is this a coincidence or something more to his potential free agency plans? In reality, we probably will never know. But players like Ohtani are normally calculated and just don't just do things for the sake of doing them.

Only time will tell but Ohtani knows his decision is coming up. The most watched free agency in baseball history is only a few months away and it's going to be a fun ride!

Not the best video quality but Shohei Ohtani hit on the field at Dodger Stadium today. He’s only done it once at Yankee Stadium and once at Angel Stadium this year during normal BP. So it’s rare. pic.twitter.com/O3zGymTMUB

— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) July 8, 2023