Shohei Ohtani news updates: Decision is ‘imminent’ | Blue Jays? Dodgers?

Shhh … Shohei Ohtani doesn’t want any leaks in his free agency process, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be updates from reporters around baseball. It seems like a decision could be coming soon, perhaps as soon as Friday.

The two-way superstar finished 2023 with 10 WAR (Baseball Reference), as he hit .304 with a 1.066 OPS, 44 home runs, 95 RBI and 20 steals. He also pitched 132 innings before he suffered an elbow injury that required surgery (Tommy John? We don’t know for sure, because he and his agent have been coy), recording a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts. Regardless, it all led to his second MVP season.

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The 29-year-old can do it all — even if he won’t do it “all,” in 2024 as he solely hits.

Here are the latest updates on his decision (newest on top):

Ohtani hasn’t decided … yet

After a report that said Ohtani has picked the Blue Jays, numerous emerged that the two-time MVP has not decided. “Wild day of Shohei Ohtani rumors: Ohtani has not made a decision to sign with the Toronto Blue Jays, or any team, as of yet,” USA TODAY Sports Bob Nightengale wrote on X.

A plea from a former Blue Jay

John Axford, a former major league reliever who pitched for eight teams, including with the Blue Jays, has a message for Ohtani. Via X:

Dear Shohei, if you sign with the Toronto Blue Jays, you can come over to my home any time you like and we can eat steak, listen to vinyl records, work out in my garage gym, discuss personal similarities like recovery from of two TJs and being tall and handsome! What do you say?

Decision is ‘imminent’

MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported this morning that Ohtani’s decision is “imminent,” and he can “say (it) for certain.” He said the announcement could come Friday and the latest it would come is within the next 24 hours.

Who is frontrunner?

MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported that it’s unclear where Ohtani will sign, but, “In the last several days, the Jays have certainly improved their standing,” and “momentum has built,” over the past few days since he visited their spring training complex.

Who has met with Shohei Ohtani?

♦ Dodgers manager David Roberts told reporters at the Winter Meetings that he and his brass met with Ohtani at Dodger Stadium last week, in a rare bit of insight into this process from a team in the running.

“Clearly, Shohei’s our top priority,” he told reporters on Tuesday. “I would like to be honest. Yeah, we met with Shohei, we talked and I think it went well. I think it went well.

♦ The Athletic reported that Ohtani met with the Blue Jays at their spring-training complex in Dunedin, Florida on Monday. Ohtani and his camp want his free agency to remain quiet, but on Monday, general manager Ross Atkins was not in Nashville and conducted his media availability on Zoom, and manager John Schneider’s availability was rescheduled from Monday to Tuesday. Hmm …

Favorites for Shohei Ohtani

According to reports, it appears that the Dodgers, Angels, Blue Jays and Giants are in the running.

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