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Shohei Ohtani is, without a doubt, the biggest free agent on the open market this offseason. He is a generational type of player who is generating the biggest buzz in the game and is expected to attract a huge increase in fans.
Nearly half of the league expressed interest in signing the two-way phenom, but many of those teams reportedly realized they had no shot at signing Ohtani and backed out. Now, there is reportedly a select group of teams named as finalists left.
According to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet, this small group of teams is expected to meet with Ohtani in LA this weekend. Negotiations have now been reported to be in the "final stretch."
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The identity of the final teams is still a mystery, but one could imagine the Los Angeles Dodgers are among the teams left. Many MLB analysts have mentioned them as the clear suitors for Shohei Ohtani.
The Dodgers seem like the widely-reported likely choice, as Ohtani has previously stated his desire to stay on the West Coast. It would not be too hard of a move on Ohtani if he were to choose to sign with them.
What other teams may still be involved in a potential Shohei Ohtani signing?
With the Dodgers already mentioned, who could some of these other final teams be? One could suspect the Chicago Cubs to be one of the abovementioned teams.
They are coming into the 2024 season under a new manager, Craig Counsell. While they are not a West Coast team, they do have Seiya Suzuki, who is a friend of Shohei Ohtani.
Another team to keep an eye on is the Toronto Blue Jays. They have been a competitive team the last few seasons but have quickly exited the playoffs. They have had their season end in the Wild Card round in three of their last four seasons.
Their championship window is open, but they need something more to push them over the edge. Ohtani is just the type of player to give them that boost they need, even if he will not be on the mound for the 2024 season.
Another team that could be a finalist in the Ohtani sweepstakes is the San Francisco Giants. They have had trouble landing big-name free agents lately and need a star player the team can rally behind.
