"We have no evidence" - Shohei Ohtani receives support from MLB insider as ex-interpreter faces prison amid cover-up rumors

Shohei Ohtani officially severed all ties with the gambling scandal that broke last year after his former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, was sentenced to nearly five years in prison on Thursday. Despite rumors of a cover-up, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal defended the three-time MVP on "Foul Territory" Friday morning.

He began the interview by acknowledging that people, mostly on social media and even some friends, suggested there was no way Ohtani couldn't have known, calling the situation fishy. From an outsider's perspective, Rosenthal admitted he initially shared that sentiment. However, a key factor kept him from fully embracing that view.

"We have no evidence--none, literally none--that anything untoward has taken place," Rosenthal vehemently stated.

The lack of any proof linking Shohei Ohtani to the scandal is something Rosenthal simply can't overlook. He then shared his perspective on the theory that Ippei was merely taking the fall for Ohtani:

"Really," Roesenthal added. "He (Mizuhara) is going to spend almost five years in jail, or at least that's what his sentence is going to be. We have a government report that was pretty air tight about Ippei's activities."

"So when you tell me, Ken--you're doing a bad job reporting, something happened here ... . I get it, that's fine. But show me the evidence. Show me anywhere where there has been evidence that this was anything but Ippei stealing from Shohei."

Rosenthal concluded the interview by emphasizing that he and his colleagues thoroughly conducted their due diligence in investigating the situation. He stated that no evidence beyond what is currently known was uncovered but acknowledged that new information could emerge over time.

"Maybe it's time for us to just accept that this guy stole from Shohei Ohtani and that's how it went down."

MLB fans remain skeptical of verdict clearing Shohei Ohtani from scandal

Ken Rosenthal and his peers may be ready to move past the gambling scandal involving Shohei Ohtani and his translator, but many fans see it differently. To them, the story just doesn't add up. This was made crystal clear after reviewing the numerous comments made to the "Foul Territory" post on X/Twitter.

"How does someone steal 17 million and you don't know about it. That doesn't pass the smell test," a fan wrote.

That's because MLB swept it under the rug. In what world do you think the league wanted to possibly ban "The Face of Baseball" for life," a fan commented.

"The problem with this is, what loan shark gives millions in credit to a translator," another fan said.