Dodgers Expected to Go All Out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto if Shohei Ohtani Signs Elsewhere

For as long as anyone can remember, the Dodgers have been the frontrunners to sign free agent Shohei Ohtani. LA has been aggressive in their pursuit of him this winter, and they have wanted him in Dodger Blue for a long time.

But there are plenty of other teams that have positioned themselves nicely, including the Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago Cubs. LA can offer him the chance to win the World Series every season, something the two-way superstar has long expressed is his desire on any team he picks.

However, MLB insider Andy Martino of SNY has reported that there has been some talk of Ohtani choosing another team that isn’t the Dodgers.

“A Yamamoto doomsday scenario for New York baseball exists in which Shohei Ohtani chooses a team other than the Dodgers -- semi-informed gossip about that scenario is rampant this week in baseball circles -- leaving Los Angeles with hundreds of millions of dollars to lavish on Yamamoto.”

If Ohtani doesn’t sign with the Dodgers, it would be a complete letdown for LA. Simple as that.

While they could still recover from it, and use that money toward a few other star players, it would still sting. The team has been preparing to land Ohtani for a long time now, and this offseason is their best chance to sign him.

Landing Yamamoto would be massive for the Dodgers, but the big prize is Ohtani. While it is free agency and he is free to sign wherever he wants, LA missing out on the modern-day Babe Ruth would be a disaster. Ohtani could generate millions for the franchise, both on and off the field.

The hope is that reports like this are just being put out there to use as leverage and that Ohtani is indeed coming to LA. For every report like this, we also have plenty that signals that he will be landing with the Dodgers.

The situation remains very fluid, but with the winter meetings taking place next week, we should know more soon. Hopefully, when the dust settles, Ohtani will have chosen the Dodgers, and we can all celebrate together.