Los Angeles Angels Star Shohei Ohtani Gives Mariners Fans a Little Hope That He May Sign in Seattle This Offseason

Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani gave Seattle Mariners fans a glimmer hope for the offseason on Tuesday night.

Let's set the stage a little bit first...

1) Ohtani is going to be a free agent at the end of the season. He's going to be the most coveted free agent in baseball history and could command upward of $600 million in free agency.

2) As Ohtani came to the plate in the first inning of the All-Star Game, Seattle fans chanted "Come to Seattle" extremely loudly. You can see and listen to that moment HERE:

3) After the game, Ohtani was asked about those chants. This is where the glimmer of hope comes in:

Per Jessamyn McIntyre of KJR Radio in Seattle:

Shohei Ohtani on hearing the chants from #Mariners fans to come to Seattle (through interpreter):

“Every time I come here, the fans are passionate. I’ve actually spent a couple off-seasons in Seattle, I like the city, it’s good.”

Shohei Ohtani on hearing the chants from #Mariners fans to come to Seattle (through interpreter):

“Every time I come here, the fans are passionate. I’ve actually spent a couple off-seasons in Seattle, I like the city, it’s good.” pic.twitter.com/W52VByI0W1
— Jessamyn McIntyre (@JessamynMcIntyr) July 12, 2023

That right there is going to give Mariners fans reason to believe that they could be the team that signs Ohtani this offseason. For the notoriously tight-lipped Ohtani, hearing that he likes Seattle and spends some offseasons in the city counts as a major win.

M's fans also have to believe they have a chance because the team had a chance the first time around. Before Ohtani signed with the Angels in 2018, the Mariners were considered the favorite. Also, Seattle has had success cultivating the careers of several Japanese players including Ichiro, who is one of Ohtani's idols.

All 30 teams want Ohtani this offseason, but on Tuesday night, Seattle was given a little bit of extra hope.