Jed Hoyer Says Cubs Haven’t Gotten Shohei Ohtani ‘Status Check’ amid Rumors

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The Chicago Cubs appear to have been left in the dark when it comes to Shohei Ohtani’s free agency.

Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer told reporters Tuesday that the franchise hasn’t received any update from Ohtani’s camp regarding if the club is still in contention to sign him this winter.

“I’m not going to comment on it but we haven’t been given a status check,” Hoyer said.

The Cubs have been linked to Ohtani throughout free agency, and he even considered Chicago before he agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Angels to come to the United States from Japan.

However, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported Tuesday that a high-ranking executive said the “Cubs’ optimism of landing Shohei Ohtani has now significantly waned.” He added that the Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles and San Francisco Giants are the “likely finalists.”

Nightengale also reported that the Cubs “balked” at Ohtani’s asking price of 10 years and at least $500 million.

Ohtani has been known to prefer the west coast, but if Hoyer hasn’t heard anything from the veteran’s camp, it’s reasonable to believe the Cubs may still be in the running for his services.

Losing out on Ohtani would be a huge miss for the Cubs, which are coming off one of their best seasons since 2020. They finished the 2023 campaign with an 83-79 record and just missed out on the playoffs.

Ohtani would significantly elevate a Cubs rotation that includes Kyle Hendricks, Justin Steele and Jameson Taillon. However, he won’t be able to pitch until 2025 after undergoing elbow surgery in September.

The 29-year-old will still be able to bat next season, and that alone would be a huge boost for the Cubs.

Ohtani slashed .304/.412/.654 with 44 home runs, 95 RBI and 20 stolen bases in 2023. Those numbers are better than any player Chicago had on its roster last season.

Ohtani is considered the best player in baseball, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he’s in no rush to reach an agreement. This could be a long process, so baseball fans should buckle up.