The Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes will undeniably dominate baseball’s offseason as it’s not every year that teams have a chance to sign a generational unicorn to a longterm contract.
And while many around baseball see the Los Angeles Dodgers as the favorite the land Ohtani, reports suggest that Ohtani is open to playing on contending teams regardless of geography.
One option, in particular, stood out in a Monday report from MLB Network’s Jon Morosi. He said that Ohtani would be “very intrigued by playing for the Atlanta Braves.”
My latest report on Shohei Ohtani’s priorities in free agency — and how they’re different now from when he first arrived to @MLB. @MLBNetwork pic.twitter.com/YRulDDZZpO
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 13, 2023
Now, Morosi did say that it was unlikely the Braves would sign Ohtani as they are looking for immediate pitching help (Ohtani will not pitch in 2024 as he recovers from elbow surgery). And though the Braves have shown a willingness to spend on contracts to Matt Olson and Austin Riley, it would be difficult to imagine the Braves’ owners at Liberty Media giving the green light for Ohtani’s price tag. Basically, it won’t happen.
Still, the report did enough to suggest that Ohtani is going to prioritize winning and not necessarily choose a team on the West Coast. The Cubs were also mentioned as a legitimate option.
Fans predictably had thoughts on this latest update for Ohtani’s free agency. That Braves lineup would be something else.