"The Dodgers hurt themselves": Dave Roberts' meeting admission could hinder pursuit of Shohei Ohtani

Somebody has finally blinked in the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes.

Manager Dave Roberts admitted on Tuesday that the LA Dodgers have met with the Japanese two-way superstar free agent. Roberts made the revelation at Major League Baseball’s Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tenn.

The Dodgers are the first team to say publicly that they are interested in Ohtani. Roberts’ remarks were a surprise because Nez Balelo, Ohtani’s agent, has repeatedly told teams not to give or leak any information about the negotiations to the media or risk hurting their chances of signing the two-time American League Most Valuable Player.

Some executives from rival clubs, who were all granted anonymity, felt Roberts’ remarks were a sure sign that the Dodgers felt they would land Shohei Ohtani.

“I can’t imagine they would risk (upsetting) Nez unless they must be absolutely sure they are getting him,” one executive said at the Winter Meetings. “You’re not going to sabotage your chances. It would be stupid and (Dodgers president of baseball operations) Andrew Friedman and Doc Roberts are two very smart people.”

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Opinion split over Shohei Ohtani destination

Though it was the first confirmed morsel of information about the most-publicized player to enter free agency since it was instituted into the sport in 1975, not everyone considers the LA Dodgers a lock to sign Ohtani.

Among them is an executive of one of the teams believed to be in on "Shotime." The operative word is "believe" because the executive hesitated to speak on background for fear of hurting his team’s chances.

“We have been ordered not to say a word (from Balelo), and he’s dead serious about it,” the executive said. “I wouldn’t have said it. The Dodgers hurt themselves. I really think they did."

Sportskeeda polled 10 executives on Tuesday at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Resort to see who they felt would sign Ohtani. Six picked the Dodgers, three chose the Toronto Blue Jays and one predicted the longshot of Shohei Ohtani re-signing with the LA Angels.

So the prevailing thought seems to be that Roberts did not put a dagger in the Dodgers' hopes of luring Ohtani up the I-5 Freeway.

“I think everyone has thought all along that the Dodgers are the favorite," an executive said. “They are a winning organization, and it gives him a chance to stay on the West Coast. And, of course, they have the money. It just makes too much sense.”

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Why talk out loud?

Still, it was surprising that the Dodgers spoke publicly about their Shohei Ohtani pursuit. And with the secrecy shrouding the player, who hasn't spoken to the media since August, no one knows for certain what effect it will have.

Yet the candidness was also refreshing in an era when general managers and managers almost always give varnished answers.

“I don’t feel like lying is something that I do,” Roberts said. “I was asked a question and I think to be forthright in this situation, we kept it quiet, but I think that it’s going to come out at some point that we met, and it obviously already has. So, I don’t think myself or anyone in our organization would want to lie about it.”

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Blue Jays are serious contenders

Some baseball people think the Toronto Blue Jays will outspend the competition for Shohei Ohtani. The Blue Jays reportedly met with Ohtani on Monday, though manager John Schneider would neither confirm nor deny that a meeting had taken place when asked Tuesday.

“He’s the most popular athlete in Japan and the most popular baseball player in the United States, so being one of the most popular athletes in Canada would be his next frontier and make him even more of an international superstar,” said a player agent, who requested anonymity.

“They have the money. If they want to spend $600 million on Ohtani and transform their franchise, they can do it.”

The one executive who predicted Ohtani would return to the Angels cited a comfort factor. The two-way star has been able to call his shots with the Angels both on and off the field throughout his six seasons in the big leagues.

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Are Angels still an option?

“He might not get that in some other places,” the exec said. “I know everyone has counted out the Angels, but I haven’t. That’s the reason why.”

However, if Shohei Ohtani is returning to the Los Angeles Angels, recently hired manager Ron Washington isn’t saying.

“I don’t want to let anything out of the bag,” Washington said.

Does out of the bag mean Shohei Ohtani is staying in Anaheim? Only he and Balelo know for sure.

And we will soon find out if Roberts' honesty costs the Dodgers the biggest free agent prize ever.