Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani is reportedly not keen on joining two big-market clubs that have been widely mentioned as potential landing spots for him.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Los Angeles Dodgers are still the front-runners to land the generational two-way star. Not only that, but Heyman stated there’s a belief that Ohtani isn’t interested in playing for the New York Mets or Yankees:
“The incumbent Angels are interested, as are the Padres.
Padres GM A.J. Preller has little interest in trading Juan Soto and will look into a long-term contract (although that’s a long shot). While Soto isn’t likely to be traded now, that could change if the Padres sign Ohtani.
The Yankees, Mets and other big-market teams will check on Ohtani, but some believe he’s reluctant to live in New York (or he was six years ago anyway). …”
If this is indeed the case, then it certainly bodes well for the Dodgers and the other big-market teams in the west. Steve Cohen of the Mets is the richest owner in baseball, and the Yankees have always had a leg up on the free agent bidding competition with their lucrative resources.
The Dodgers are an annual World Series contender and can offer the desirable LA market, a giant fanbase and of course whatever asking price Ohtani has. Having never made the playoffs with the Angels, Ohtani would have the chance to win multiple rings with an NL heavyweight.
Both the Mets and the Yankees are coming off incredibly disappointing seasons. Both reached the postseason in 2022 and entered 2023 as top World Series contenders, only to both miss out on the playoffs.
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While the Yankees narrowly salvaged a winning record (82-80), the Mets finished with just 75 wins and 87 losses to miss out on the postseason for the sixth time in seven years.
