Here's Cardinals' Updated Odds Of Landing Shohei Ohtani According To Sportsbook
The St. Louis Cardinals will be one of many franchises with some level of interest in Los Angeles Angels two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani.
The superstar is set to become a free agent this winter and kick off arguably the most notable Major League Baseball sweepstakes of the century.
The 29-year-old's season has been one to marvel at, matching his spectacular career.
Ohtani hit .304 with 78 extra-base hits including 44 home runs, 95 RBIs and a 1.066 OPS in 135 games. On the mound, he posted a 10-5 record with a 3.14 ERA, 167-to-55 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .184 batting average against and a 1.061 WHIP in 132 innings across 23 starts.
He'll unquestionably be a hot commodity this winter, leaving the Cardinals on the outside looking in. St. Louis has +1600 odds (6.3%) to sign Ohtani according to BetOnline's Sportsbook this winter. Those odds rank No. 10 in the league, which is higher than many would expect.
The Cardinals clear No. 1 need this offseason is pitching. The organization is expected to add at least three new starters to the rotation and should allocate a hefty majority of its resources to the pitching staff.
From a long-term perspective, Ohtani makes plenty of sense but the Cardinals do not appear to have any interest in waiting another year before getting a frontline starter on the mound.
Had Ohtani stayed healthy, St. Louis would have been a sneaky underdog to obtain the two-way star but his injury puts any hope of him coming to Busch Stadium in jeopardy.
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