Is the Shohei Ohtani and Baltimore Orioles Connection Real?

There has been some speculation that the Baltimore Orioles might take a major swing for Shohei Ohtani this offseason, but is that a real possibility?

Through general manager Mike Elias' tenure with the Baltimore Orioles so far, ownership has not been willing to spend top dollars in free agency.

Much of that had to do with their strategy of rebuilding the franchise to organically create a contender.

The Orioles have been able to accomplish that so far through the MLB Draft with their two young stars well on their way to becoming top players in the entire sport.

Their pipeline is seen as the best in the MLB and will give them plenty of options on how they want to use their pool of top prospects.

While this strategy worked to the tune of winning the AL East and having the best American League record in 2023, there's also another reality present this offseason.

Shohei Ohtani is available and the best player in baseball doesn't hit the open market often.

Surprisingly to many, reporters and insiders have continually included Baltimore in speculation about where Ohtani could play in the future.

That would go completely against how the front office has operated and the little amount of money that ownership has been willing to spend.

Roch Kubatko of MASN emphatically wrote there's a reason why these reports were so surprising.

"You want more fantasy? Read any article that suggests a possible link between the Orioles and free agent Shohei Ohtani. Stop it. Please. They don’t need a full-time designated hitter and they won’t hand out the most lucrative contract in baseball history, with some published salary predictions around $500 million," he says.

That's a wet blanket for those dreaming big.

However, it's probably the reality.

Kubatko knows Ohtani signing with the Orioles would be one of the most shocking decisions in league history.

Not just because he would be signing with Baltimore, but because of how much money the franchise would be giving out while they have homegrown prospects in line to eventually get their own paydays.

So while any speculation that has the Orioles as a potential suitor for Ohtani is nice to envision, it almost assuredly will not become a reality.