New York Mets are Top Team Linked to Shohei Ohtani

The New York Mets have been named as front-runners in the sweepstakes for Shohei Ohtani.
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Will New York Mets owner Steve Cohen pony up and sign two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani next winter?

According to ESPN baseball insider Buster Olney, It's certainly possible, as he named the Mets as front-runners to land Ohtani. 

As Olney pointed out, Mets general manager Billy Eppler signed Ohtani when he was the GM of the Los Angeles Angels. This could play as an advantage for the Mets. 

However, some believe that Ohtani might not want to leave California. There is also talk that he isn't a fan of making himself available to the media on a regular basis, which wouldn't fly in New York. 

Ohtani is expected to draw a historic contract in the $500-600 million range, which would be records by a long shot. 

While Cohen has an art collection that is worth billions of dollars, it remains to be seen whether he will dish out record-setting money for Ohtani. 

That said, the Mets have the highest payroll in baseball history at $377 million, but have stumbled out of the gate with a .500 record. If the expensive Mets falter this season, this could force Cohen to be more aggressive in the offseason by going hard for Ohtani. 

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Pat Ragazzo
PAT RAGAZZO

Pat Ragazzo is the main publisher and reporter for the Mets On SI site. He has been covering the Mets since 2018. Pat was selected as The Top Reporter & Publisher of the Year 2024 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) for outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to the industry. He has appeared on several major TV Networks including: NBC4, CBS2, FOX5, PIX11 and NY1; and is a recurring guest on ESPN New York 880 AM and WFAN Sports Radio 101.9 FM. Pat is also the Mets insider for Barstool Sports personality Frank "The Tank" Fleming’s podcast. You can follow him on Twitter/X and Instagram: @ragazzoreport.