MLB Winter Meetings are on the horizon, and of course the biggest name discussed by front offices there will be Shohei Ohtani.
Last month, we ranked all 30 baseball teams by desirability for the slugger/hurler, and now — per ESPN’s Jeff Passan — some franchises “have turned their attention to other players.” That would be the New York Mets, Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers.
Who’s left? Passan says it’s the Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and Toronto Blue Jays, with the San Francisco Giants maybe still in.
So let’s rank those remaining teams by which ones would be the right fit for Ohatni, with odds courtesy of BetMGM:
5
Los Angeles Angels (+2000)
Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
Sorry, Angels fans. The franchise had its chance to show Ohtani the money, and it didn’t, and now they feel like they’re distant when it comes to re-signing him. Plus, after how last season went down, Ohtani might not feel confidence in the Halos’ direction.
4
San Francisco Giants (+1300)
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
If it’s win-now that Ohtani wants, there are franchises with better chances. If it’s money that Ohtani wants, there are franchises who can pay more.
3
Chicago Cubs (+400)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Extremely intriguing, Chicago rules, but there are two better options here.
2
Toronto Blue Jays (+550)
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
The more I think about this, the more I love it for Ohtani. This team is in a tough division and hasn’t quite gotten there in the postseason when they’ve looked good on paper.
Well, they’d look REALLY good on paper, can find the money to sign Ohtani, and Toronto is an underrated city.
1
Los Angeles Dodgers (+100)
Stephen Brashear-USA TODAY Sports
It’s still too perfect to overlook. He doesn’t have to move, he joins a team that’s already stacked, he can get PAID. Simple.
