At least the Dodgers, Giants and Cubs are believed going big for two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, while the Padres, Rangers, Red Sox, Yankees and many others are linked, and the incumbent Angels are waiting and praying they’ll have a chance to retain arguably baseball’s greatest talent ever.
The Cubs are thought a threat.
But some say Ohtani loves southern California.
We are mostly just reading tea leaves, as information is sparse.
CAA wouldn’t even say whether main agent Nez Balelo was at the GM meetings (word heard later is he was off-site).
The other big Japanese star, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who has a lifetime 1.82 ERA and is 25, is also popular with almost all big market teams (including the Mets and Yankees), and while most teams are presumed only able to afford one or the other — Ohtani should cost $500M or so and Yamamoto $200M — word is, the Dodgers could swing it for both, at least hypothetically.
The other question, of course, is whether a second Japanese star would relish being second fiddle to Ohtani. (Yamamoto’s handlers maintain that isn’t an issue.)
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Aaron Nola and the efficient Phillies bridged a $100M spring gap ($100M offer, $200M ask) with the $172M, seven-year deal.
He was said to leave a few mil on the table. The Cardinals and Braves were among the interested.
The Rangers hope to bring back Jordan Montgomery, no surprise considering his 1.29 ERA ALCS ERA vs. rival Houston.
His other previous teams, the Yankees and Cardinals, reached out — but for Texas he thrived on their way to the World Series, and he didn’t start either playoff game in St. Louis’ brief 2022 postseason, and the Yankees didn’t envision him in their ’22 playoff rotation.
The Braves and Cards are among teams linked to Sonny Gray.
Kenta Maeda is drawing interest from the Tigers and his old Twins.
Top Japanese lefty Shota Imanaga, who won the WBC clincher, is expected to post by early next week.
