MLB Exec Says Mets, Dodgers Favorites to Land Shohei Ohtani
To no surprise, the teams in the two biggest markets have the best chance to sign superstar free agent Shohei Ohtani this winter.
As The New York Post's Jon Heyman reported, an MLB executive told him that the Mets and Dodgers should be considered the favorites to sign Ohtani, who can pitch and hit.
For the Mets, team owner Steve Cohen watched Ohtani play in World Baseball Classic games in Japan, general manager Billy Eppler signed Ohtani when he was GM of the Angels, and those inside the Mets organization believe the club will heavily pursue Ohtani in free agency.
As for the Dodgers, they put a halt on spending and cleared a significant amount of payroll to be able to go after Ohtani next free agency.
According to Heyman, the question remains whether Ohtani will want to play in New York. Five years ago, five out of Ohtani's final seven preferred teams were on the west coast, minus the Cubs and Rangers.
Per Heyman, Ohtani told the Yankees that he couldn't envision himself in New York at the time. However, this might not be the case this time around.
Cohen and the Mets are willing to spend, and Ohtani would bring a major entertainment factor to the organization, as well as two-way star power.
Ohtani could receive a record-setting $600 million contract in free agency. And if he lands this type of deal, the Mets and Dodgers are both teams who can afford it.
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