Angels Free Agent Shohei Ohtani to Reportedly Hold Secret Free Agent Meetings
With the one question on everyone's mind this offseason — where will two-way superstar free agent Shohei Ohtani sign — baseball fans everywhere will have to wait patiently behind closed doors.
On Thursday, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that Ohtani plans to keep his free agency visits out of the spotlight this offseason.
If there is one thing to know about Shohei Ohtani's free agency, it's that you are unlikely to know much about it until he signs somewhere," Passan wrote. "If visits between Ohtani and a team are reported publicly, it will be held against the team, so the circles will be tiny and tight."
The opportunity to sign Ohtani for any team this offseason should be a no brainer as the 29-year-old will hit free agency for the first time since the 2017-18 offseason.
During his first six years of playing in the MLB, Ohtani is a three-time All-Star, 2018 AL Rookie of the Year, 2023 AL home run leader, and the current AL MVP as he has won two of them over the last three years.
This past offseason, Ohtani hit 44 home runs with a .304 batting average and knocked in 95 RBIs while stealing 20 bases for the Angels.
With expectations to sign a deal that is at least $500 million for 10 years, Ohtani will surpass current/former teammate Mike Trout for the highest contract in MLB history.
While it remains unknown what team he will play for next year, nothing has publicly come out on what the Angels intentions are on re-signing Ohtani this offseason. Recently, there has been speculation that the Dodgers, Cubs, and Braves are all willing to give Ohtani whatever number he desires for his next contract.
