Surprise suitor said to be advancing in talks to sign Shohei Ohtani

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Shohei Ohtani is not expected to pick his next team in free agency this week, but fans and analysts are poring over the clues in an attempt to ascertain the two-way superstar's destination.

One team lurking in the shadows for Ohtani is the Toronto Blue Jays, a championship-starved club in the tough-as-nails AL East. Few clues have emerged as to which direction Ohtani is leaning, but the first day of MLB's annual winter meetings may have provided hints that the two-time AL MVP is giving Toronto a serious look.

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Shohei's free agency shrouded in secrecy

According to Sports Illustrated, speculation that Ohtani could be bound for Ontario has ramped up after:

  • Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins switched his in-person media availability to Zoom, and he did not tell reporters where he was
  • Ohtani's agent, Nez Balelo, is not in Nashville for the Winter Meetings
  • Blue Jays manager John Schneider had his media availability moved from Monday to Tuesday

The schedule alterations could be purely coincidental, of course. But they could also be indicative of a team trying to court Ohtani on his terms -- as quietly and as privately as possible, per his request.

The case for Toronto

In any case, the Blue Jays are still regarded as a strong contender to land Ohtani. Toronto opened the 2023 season with one of the ten highest payrolls in baseball and have cultivated an identity as a team on the rise -- but a team missing one vital piece at the plate or on the mound.

Ohtani, who can't pitch in 2024 after undergoing elbow surgery, will slot nicely into a lineup that currently includes All-Stars Bo Bichette, George Springer, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The Jays have made the postseason three times in the past four seasons, but they have not won a postseason game since 2016. Ohtani's arrival could see that drought end, and further steps taken to win Toronto's first World Series since 1993.

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