MLB Insider Links New York Mets to Shohei Ohtani in Free Agency

The New York Mets have been linked to signing Shohei Ohtani by MLB Insider Jim Bowden in free agency this offseason.

When Steve Cohen bought the New York Mets, he became the wealthiest owner in baseball and immediately made the franchise contenders for any of the top free agents on the market.

Now, with Shohei Ohtani set to become a free agent when the offseason begins, this scenario is exactly what Mets fans envisioned when Cohen took over the organization.

The financial capital that the franchise now has puts them in the running for any free agent that hits the market.

MLB Insider Jim Bowden thinks there's a realistic chance that the Mets could land the best player in baseball during the offseason.

"In addition, the Mets’ general manager, Billy Eppler, signed Ohtani when he was running the Angels. Eppler made several trips to Japan to recruit Ohtani back then and has stayed in touch with him since, including when the Angels visited the Mets last weekend," he wrote for The Athletic.

The connection between Eppler and Ohtani combined with Cohen's ability to outspend any other franchise could be very appealing to the two-way player, especially as he's dealing with his current elbow injury.

Bowden also wrote, "If they were willing to pay both Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer $43.3 million per year, they’d likely be willing to commit $50 million or more a year for Ohtani services."

New York has started to rebuild surrounding young players they are developing through their pipeline, giving multiple prospects opportunities down the final stretch of this season.

However, it's unlikely that would prevent the Mets from being aggressive and trying to sign the most prized free agent on the market.

With two months until Ohtani hits free agency, New York are major players to sign the Japanese phenom.