From fans tracking private flights, to hosts blowing up about how quiet he’s being, the chase for the biggest free agent in American sports history has been wild.
But that’s what happens when you’ve got up to $900 million heading the way of MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani.
The Japanese ace, an unthinkably-talented two-way star who is one of the sport’s best hitters and pitchers in one extraordinary package, is yet to pick his future home after years missing the playoffs with the Los Angeles Angels.
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And the internet’s finest sleuths are on the case, for better or worse.
Friday morning (US time), MLB Network’s Jon Morosi cited a source in reporting a deal for Ohtani, expected to set a new record for the largest contract in North American pro sports, was “imminent, possibly as early as today.”
He went on to report the Toronto Blue Jays were a finalist to obtain the services of the slugging-and-pitching sensation.
That’s where the opera singers come in.
Really.
Enter, from stage way left, baritone Clarence Frazer, who heard from a source — who doesn’t have sources these days? — that Blue Jays pitcher Yusei Kukuchi had “reserved an entire upscale sushi restaurant near Rogers Centre” for Friday night.
Kikuchi, like Ohtani, hails from Japan. (And, no, it’s not Kikuchi’s wife’s birthday. We checked.)
A further theory, circulated on Reddit, dealing with tracking flights inbound to Toronto and hinging on the false notion that Ohtani has a girlfriend in Hawaii, was debunked.
At this week’s winter meetings, where deal-making (outside of the Yankees’ trade for Juan Soto) slowed to a glacial pace in anticipation of Ohtani’s move, it was revealed that Ohtani recently met with Blue Jays brass at the team’s refurbished spring training facility in Dunedin, Fla.
But just over an hour after MLB Network reported that Ohtani was “en route” to Toronto on Friday, The Post’s Jon Heyman confirmed that the two-way superstar, in fact, hasn’t left California.
“Shohei Ohtani is NOT in Toronto,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale first reported in a post on X. “Ohtani is NOT on a flight to Toronto. Ohtani is at home in Southern California.”
When MLB Network reported that Ohtani was travelling to Toronto on Friday, where he’d conceivably meet with the Blue Jays for the second time this week, the network cautioned that it didn’t mean he was any closer to signing a contract — with the Blue Jays, or any other of his suitors — and hadn’t signed anything as of 4:01 p.m.
A representative from Ohtani’s agency — CAA, where he works with agent Nez Balelo — also declined comment to MLB Network.
So the wait for Ohtani’s decision, and now the search for his next flight, continues, with the designated hitter and pitcher set to potentially ink a deal worth $US600 million.
He’s the two-time AL MVP, who won the award again in 2023 after slugging 44 homers and logging a 1.066 OPS, and he also went 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA across 23 starts before getting shut down from pitching and undergoing an elbow procedure — which will prevent him from pitching in 2024 — in September.
The late-season injury, though, hasn’t extinguished the anticipation behind his free-agency decision.
The Blue Jays, Cubs, Dodgers, Giants and Angels were all viewed as possible options for Ohtani, who announced his decision to sign with the Angels six years ago Friday.
Earlier this week, the Blue Jays met with Ohtani at their spring training facility in Dunedin, Florida, and it made them a serious contender to land the two-way superstar.
Meanwhile long-time sports radio host and ESPN personality Chris “Mad Dog” Russo isn’t a fan of the secrecy that has come along with the Ohtani chase.
Russo expressed his displeasure with the whole thing during Wednesday’s episode of “First Take” on ESPN, decrying how guarded the information has been about the teams Ohtani has met with.
And on several occasions, he said that any team that gives Ohtani $600 million “needs their heads examined.”
“The fact that we’re even discussing this is a complete joke,” Russo said. “He’s not going to pitch next year. He’s a DH and tell me this with Ohtani, how many times were the Angels in the pennant race in the middle of September? They won 75 games last year he missed the last 25 games.”
The roughly two-minute rant by “Mad Dog” had Stephen A. Smith rolling his eyes at times, seemingly over the odd nature of the comments.
“And what is the big secret? Geez he’s a free agent,” Russo continued. “He’s talked to six teams. … What is this the atomic bomb? We’re not allowed to find out? This is baseball. He’s a celebrity. This is what it’s about. This is stupid that somehow, someway if you reveal you had a breakfast with Ohtani you should basically be thrown out with the bathwater.”
The former WFAN star was referring to a situation that occurred on Tuesday when Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed during his media session that they had met with Ohtani.
Reports indicated that his comments may have caused an issue, and general manager Brandon Gomes was a bit more hush-hush when he spoke to reporters.
Gomes did acknowledge that Roberts “made a comment” and replied, “I have no idea” when The Post’s Joel Sherman asked if the manager’s comments hurt the Dodgers’ pursuit of Ohtani.
“This Ohtani thing is the biggest waste of time I’ve ever seen in my life,” Russo said. “If you go spend $600 million for this guy, you need your head examined. He has never played a big game in September and the Angels stink. One player doesn’t win.
“The idea that we have to treat this as the peace talks in Tehran in World War II is ridiculous! When Stalin and Roosevelt and Churchill got together. It drives me absolutely crazy!”
This article includes portions of multiple articles from the New York Post which were republished with permission.
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