Report: Seattle Mariners Not Expected to Sign Superstar Shohei Ohtani
According to a recent article from MLB.com's Daniel Kramer, the Seattle Mariners are not expected to sign free agent Shohei Ohtani this offseason.
Per Kramer's reasoning on the factors leading to that assumption:
A few factors:
- Just how lucrative the cost will be.
- Where the Mariners’ budget stands heading into 2024.
- Allocating most (or all) of its financial resources this winter to one player when there are multiple needs isn’t within their scope.
- Pressing forward with the rest of those needs is the leading priority.
- Maybe Ohtani simply prefers other teams more than the Mariners.
No matter what the reason is, and no matter how justified it may be, this will surely disappoint Mariners fans.
The M's got flack from fans - and players - for not spending heading into 2023, and signing Ohtani would have been the quickest and best way to curry up some favor in the courts of public opinion. But on top of that, Ohtani fills the M's biggest need: Offense.
Traditionally starved for production offensively, the team also needs to replace the offensive numbers lost by Teoscar Hernandez, who will depart to free agency. Ohtani's ability to homer and drive the ball to all fields would have solidified the middle of the order for the Mariners, something they desperately need.
Mariners' fans had been thinking there was a real chance to get Ohtani because of the connection between the team and Japanese superstars of the past, but evidently, that isn't going to help much. Even if Ohtani wants to play in Seattle, the ownership group appears unwilling to pony up.
If Ohtani is truly out of the picture, the M's will need to focus on finding another middle of the order bat, likely from the trade market.
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