Yankees fans react as Shohei Ohtani treasures Hideki Matsui's signed ball: "Yankee by tomorrow"

Although this year's offseason may be defined by the unrestricted free agency of Shohei Ohtani, there has been little word on whether he will sign anytime soon. The two-way Japanese sensation has been the topic of rumors all year long, yet a few weeks into the offseason, he remains unsigned.

The fact that Shohei Ohtani is simply a one-of-a-kind talent has led many to not only speculate on how much money he will make, but which MLB team will be willing to pay up. Although there are more questions than answers at this point, the only thing that seems certain is that he will not be returning to the Los Angeles Angels.

The uncertainty about where Ohtani will sign has led fanbases across the MLB to not only speculate but take any bit of information as a hint of his intentions. This is the case when it comes to Shohei Ohtani and an autographed baseball from New York Yankees and Team Japan legend Hideki Matsui.

In a recent post that has been circulating across social media, Ohtani is seen sitting across from the former New York Yankees slugger before receiving a signed baseball from one of his childhood heroes. Upon receiving the ball from Matsui, Ohtani explained that he is not someone who likes to ask for favors, but said that he will "treasure" the autographed ball.

This exchange between two of the greatest Japanese baseball players of all time has sent New York Yankees fans into a frenzy. Although it may simply be wishful thinking, some fans believe that his affection toward Matsui could lead to him following in his footsteps and joining the Bronx Bombers in New York.

Some fans have said that the exchange means that he is already a member of the New York Yankees, while others have gone as far as to thank Hideki Matsui, stating that he is continuing to come up clutch for the Yankees.

Shohei Ohtani continues to be heavily linked to several clubs

Although New York Yankees fans may believe that the exchange between Ohtani and Matsui is a positive sign in the team's pursuit of the two-way star, there are other clubs who may be closer to signing him. The betting favorite to sign the two-time MVP is the Los Angeles Dodgers, who were linked to Shohei Ohtani all season long.

Other teams that have emerged as potential landing spots for Ohtani include the reigning World Series champions Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners and New York Mets.