Have SF Giants come up short in Ohtani sweepstakes? Conflicting reports that a deal is in place

The top-secret saga of the most-coveted free agent in baseball history took its wildest twist yet Friday, with conflicting reports emerging that Shohei Ohtani, the two-way megastar, had decided on his next team.

If J.P. Hoornstra of Dodgers Nation and formerly of the Southern California News Group, a partner of the Bay Area News Group, is to be believed, then the San Francisco Giants have come up short once again in their attempt to attract the game’s top talent on the open market.

Hoornstra cited anonymous sources Friday morning saying that Ohtani had made his decision and that the global sensation will expand his audience north of the border, eschewing the Giants and the perceived front-runners in Los Angeles for the Toronto Blue Jays. Multiple other reports, including ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez and Ben Nicholson-Smith and Shi Davidi of SportsNet, quickly pushed back and said no decision had been made.

MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported later Friday that Ohtani was, indeed, en route to Toronto, though no paperwork had been signed yet, only for that to be refuted hours later by a litany of other national reporters who said he had been home in Southern California all along.

Morosi said Thursday that a decision was “imminent” and expected “within 24 hours” while ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that a decision was expected by the end of the weekend. If a deal is finalized Friday, it will come on the anniversary of Ohtani’s surprise decision to sign with the Angels in 2016.

In the void of information through traditional sources, hawkeyed fans believed they tracked Ohtani on a private jet from Orange County’s John Wayne airport that was set to land in Toronto Friday afternoon. The jet, it turned out, according to a CBC photographer who witnessed it land at Pearson International, was carry Canadian businessman Robert Herjavec, of “Shark Tank” fame.

Adding another bizarre twist to one of the most mysterious free agency sagas in history, a Toronto opera singer posted on social media that Blue Jays pitcher Yusei Kikuchi had made a reservation for “50+” people at a Toronto sushi restaurant, a party that apparently didn’t include Ohtani.

The most tightly held secret of all? The name of his adorable dog, who appeared with him while accepting his MVP award on MLB Network. Rumor is, according to multiple reports, that it might have something to do with his desired destination.

The entire process has been shrouded in secrecy, reportedly at the request of Ohtani, and no club, nor his agency, CAA, has formally announced a deal, which is expected to set records for North American sports, potentially upward of $600 million or more.

The Giants, meanwhile, were believed to have made their pitch to the two-time MVP Saturday at Oracle Park, with a San Francisco Chronicle photographer capturing president Farhan Zaidi, manager Bob Melvin and part-owner Buster Posey departing the ballpark.

That came a day after Ohtani met with the Dodgers, according to the Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett. Manager Dave Roberts also spilled the beans, sharing some details to reporters at the Winter Meetings, that they met for “two to three” hours, calling Ohtani “clearly our top priority.”

Departing the Winter Meetings, however, it appeared momentum had shifted north.

Blue Jays general manger Ross Atkins raised suspicions when his scheduled media availability Monday at the Winter Meetings was moved to Zoom, appearing in front of a white backdrop that gave no clues to his whereabouts, and The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal later reported that he was in Dunedin, Florida, hosting Ohtani at the club’s brand-new player development complex.

The consensus leaving the meetings was that Ohtani was down to at least the Blue Jays and Dodgers, with the Giants, Cubs and Angels on the periphery.

If their pursuit did, indeed, fall short, Ohtani’s name will merely be added for a second time to a list of second-runs for the Giants after previously falling short in pursuits of Aaron Judge last offseason, Bryce Harper in 2019, Giancarlo Stanton in 2018 and Ohtani’s initial posting in 2017.

One consolation prize: he wouldn’t land with the division-rival Dodgers, long thought to be the favorites.

Still seeking the type of attraction they haven’t had since Barry Bonds, or at least Posey, Zaidi and Co. will turn their eyes elsewhere on the free-agent market, which is expected to heat up once the biggest domino has fallen. They haven’t been shy about their intentions.

“San Francisco’s a star-power town,” Melvin said in Nashville. “So I think we need some players, one, two or whatever, that the fans really identify with. Whether it was the Willie Mays days, the Barry Bonds days (or) Buster Posey, star power is important to San Francisco.”

The Giants are heavily interested in Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is said to be taking meetings this week. Offensively, Cody Bellinger and Matt Chapman would pack a punch in a lineup that needs it, while Korean center fielder Jung-Hoo Lee would surely help shore up their outfield defense.

But they may otherwise have to turn to the trade market, where the Yankees beat everyone to the punch by landing the most-coveted commodity, at least for next season, striking a deal with the Padres for Juan Soto. The 25-year-old on-base machine will be a free agent next winter — he once turned down $440 million — but until then, San Francisco may have to part with some of its prospects to land the franchise anchor it so desires.

The Giants have a strong group of young pitchers, starting with Kyle Harrison, who would be attractive to teams looking to part with position players — the Brewers, Reds, Rays, White Sox and Cardinals all make sense — and general manager Pete Putila said at the Winter Meetings they had been taking calls on that group.

“There’s definitely interest around the league,” he said. “It’s sort of validating in a way when you internally look at a guy and think he has the skills to be a major-league starter and some teams make some calls on certain players. … (But) the years of control you get from players who come up through your system are invaluable, so there’s always a risk-reward factor there.”