One team has already begun recruiting Shohei Ohtani, but where will he end up in 2023?

The 2023 MLB season hasn't even begun, but the recruiting of impending free agent Shohei Ohtani has. The Chicago Cubs might have tampered, but they've begun their pursuit of the two-way superstar.

Outfielder Seiya Suzuki, who is a teammate with Ohtani on Team Japan for the 2023 World Baseball Classic, said he has already invited the Los Angeles Angels' star to join his team via free agency.

The Cubs have been one of the teams repeatedly linked to Ohtani. They'll have some money to spend and are trying to build a roster capable of contending.

That doesn't happen often in one season. But adding players like Dansby Swanson and Cody Bellinger in one offseason and Shohei Ohtani in the next certainly helps them along that path.

Still, the Cubs feel like a bit of a long shot. Even if their roster can somehow turn into a contender this season, they still won't be as good as the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees or New York Mets.

Those three teams figure to be the favorites for Ohtani, and the Cubs can't quite compete with them either financially (or in terms of which presents a better situation).

That begs the question: where will Ohtani end up?

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Where's Shohei Ohtani going to play in 2024?

It's possible that a team could trade for Shohei Ohtani if the Angels get off to a slow start once again, but either way, it's incredibly likely that he lands in a new city in 2024.

The Dodgers have eschewed any free agency activity this year, potentially so that they can sign Ohtani. They'll be tough to beat out.

The Mets have not done that, but they also have no fear about spending an absurd amount of money. It's hard to imagine them getting outbid for Ohtani's services.

Will Shohei Ohtani join the New York Mets?

The Yankees would love to land Ohtani and surpass the Houston Astros, and they also have the ability and the status to do so.

Other teams like the Cubs, the San Diego Padres and the Philadelphia Phillies can't be ruled out, either. It will truly be a bidding war.