Ohtani decision ‘imminent,’ could be as early as today: report
Posted December 8, 2023 1:26 pm.
A decision by free agent Shohei Ohtani as to which club he is going to sign with is “imminent” and could come as early as Friday, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported Friday.
Ohtani, considered a generational star and by far the top player available in Major League Baseball’s free agency pool, is reportedly deciding between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers, although other teams could also still be in the mix.
An accomplished pitcher and hitter, Ohtani’s signing is likely to set a record for the biggest contract in baseball history.
Ohtani, the biggest free agent in MLB history, is coming off a season that saw him hit .304 while blasting 44 home runs in just 135 games. The two-way star also posted a 3.14 ERA over 132 innings while racking up 176 strikeouts.
The 29-year-old had his 2023 season cut short after undergoing surgery on his throwing elbow in September. That didn’t stop him from becoming the first player in MLB history to win two MVP awards unanimously, as Ohtani claimed all 30 first-place votes from the BBWAA to take home the award.
In six major-league seasons with the Angels, Ohtani has been named to three All-Star Games, won two Silver Slugger awards and was named the AL Rookie of the Year in 2018.
Over that span, the six-foot-four superstar has tallied a .274/.366/.556 slash line with 171 home runs, 437 RBIs and 88 stolen bases. On the mound, he has a career 38-19 record with a 3.01 ERA and a whopping 11.36 strikeouts per nine over 481.2 innings.
