LA remains the frontrunner to land the two-way superstar.
The Dodgers long pursuit of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani is the worst-kept secret in all of baseball. LA is generally seen in the baseball industry as the frontrunner to land him, and they are expected to be aggressive in doing so.
While the Dodgers remain in front, there is no shortage of other teams that are positioning themselves to go after him as well.
National MLB reporter Michael Marino is reporting that two suitors for Ohtani have dropped out. Both the Texas Rangers and the Boston Red Sox are out on the two-way superstar, helping clear the way for the Dodgers.
Update: Believe the Boston Red Sox are out, or at the very least looking elsewhere at the moment.
— Michael Marino (@MarinoMLB) November 29, 2023
The Rangers were seen by many as a team that could steal Ohtani from the Dodgers, so their dropping out is massive. Marino listed a few teams that are still in contention to sign Ohtani, with the Dodgers topping the list.
Among the teams I have confirmed are still in for MLB Phenom Shohei Ohtani:
Dodgers
Cubs
Blue Jays
AngelsThis isn’t an exclusive list, others still remain in. These are just the ones I know are still in the mix. https://t.co/t2UG852Xfk
— Michael Marino (@MarinoMLB) November 29, 2023
It seems that the biggest competitors for LA are the Toronto Blue Jays and the Chicago Cubs. Chicago has long been a suitor, and they are preparing to offer him a very lucrative contract offer.
Toronto is the wild card here, as they are an international city. They could offer him something that nobody else can, the keys to an entire country. Ohtani may relish this type of opportunity, and the Blue Jays have stayed steadfast in their pursuit.
But even with this, LA remains the most likely landing spot. They can offer him the chance to win the World Series each season, something not many other teams can realistically do.
Ohtani wants to win, and he could win a ton with the Dodgers. We should know much more soon with the winter meetings taking place next week.