MLB insider expects Shohei Ohtani to be signed with a team 'before the end of the calendar year'

Shohei Ohtani's free agency is keeping everyone waiting. Teams are already lined up to land the Japanese sensation's services. However, a specific time frame is yet to be disclosed by Ohtani, his team or even his agent Nez Balelo.

Shohei Ohtani's free agency comes after six years in the majors with the Los Angeles Angels. These six seasons unfortunately yielded no team success for him despite numerous individual accolades, including two AL MVP awards.

MLB analyst Jon Morosi feels that Shohei Ohtani is expected to secure his new city before the end of the current year.

That leaves him just more than a month to weigh all his options, but considering that the free agency market is heavily dependant on his contract, the 29-year-old might be tempted to take a decision sooner.

"December. Ohtani is such a unique player in the market that he can sign at any time. It’s not as though teams are waiting to sign Ohtani or an equivalent cumulative value in bullpen arms. In the strategic thinking of an organization, he occupies a spending category unto himself.

"That being said, Ohtani likely will realize that other players -- and the market overall -- will benefit by him deciding on a home within the next several weeks. Accordingly, I expect him to sign before the end of the calendar year," Morosi said.

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Expected contracts to be around for $500 million for Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani's UCL tear while pitching for the Halos this season led to a few concerns that the two-way player's value would decrese.

That was further solidified, as he was ruled out of pitching for the 2024 season. However, despite his inability to pitch Ohtani is still expected to generate the biggest at-bat in any team.

As a batter, he hit 44 home runs with .304 average and 95 RBIs this season, which would have been enough to get him the MVP award without his 10-5 record as a starting pitcher.

Teams will look to sign him for a long term contract, and even without a season of pitching, they will get their values worth for a batter and a pitcher for most of the contract.