Shohei Ohtani is a great player and every team wants him on its roster. It is no surprise that the Yankees tried to get him at the trade deadline. However, many baseball experts aren’t sure if the Bombers will again do that this offseason and whether Ohtani chose to come to New York as a free agent.
Aaron Judge’s contract ends with the season and the Yankees have their priority fixed on getting him resigned for a new contract.
That doesn’t forbid the Yankees to avoid going after Ohtani in a year, and people who know him well say it’s wrong to say the MVP doesn’t like New York. They say that the Angels star has never said anything like that and he will be open to moving once he turns a free agent. They also say that he is now fully committed to the Angels, which is clear from how well he has played.
Of course, a lot could have changed since the Ohtani Derby six years ago. The Yankees failed to get into the final round but had a taste of what Ohtani liked to have. After this season, the player has more options to consider. Still, the Dodgers, Cubs, Giants, Mariners, Padres, and Rangers were the other six teams in the running, and even two baseball executives predicted the Giants as the next destination for Ohtani if he opted out of Los Angeles. Of course, in baseball, predictions never hit 1.000.
Ohtani hasn’t ever openly discussed his preference for any team to join after this season. Some club executives thought that he would have been happier in a relatively smaller market years ago, maybe on the West Coast. In any case, the Yankees were still one of the most interested teams in the failed deadline-day trade talks. This was before Angels owner Arte Moreno refused to trade Ohtani, who is going to have a second straight all-world season that may give him the MVP title for the second year.
Ohtani has already hinted that he is not playing for money. Winning games is the most important thing for him along with being able to help his team in any way he can. So that could be good for the Yankees. Another difference between being a free agent after 2023 and the last time is that he is becoming a free agent after this season in a true sense and this could get him a bigger contract.
Do you think the Yankees will try to sign Ohtani while retaining Aaron Judge?
