Yankees Might Be Out Of Race For Acquiring Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani, a once-in-a-lifetime superstar free agent, has naturally been connected to the New York Yankees and a few other teams in Major League Baseball this offseason.

Yankees Might Be Out Of Race For Acquiring Shohei Ohtani

But have the Yankees been written off as a serious contender to acquire Ohtani less than 48 hours after the MLB winter meetings began? Although Ohtani’s true favourite landing destinations are unknown, the most recent speculation regarding New York is not good for the Yankees in the slightest.

“It isn’t known what other teams Ohtani may have singled out for preference, but the clubhouse source added that Ohtani specifically said he couldn’t see himself playing in New York,” according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

The clubhouse insider stated that Ohtani explicitly stated he couldn’t see himself playing in New York, which is also what he told the Yankees six years ago before signing with the Angels. It is unknown which other clubs Ohtani may have singled out for preference.

Nonetheless, it seems sense to believe that the Yankees and Mets might never have had a chance to actually compete for the best player of all time. Both teams appear to be overly focused on another rising talent from Japan, Yoshinobu Yamamato, a right-handed pitcher whom every big-market team is after.

Ohtani is an instant enhancement to the lineup and starting rotation, regardless of where he ends up. With Ohtani, the Yankees have a proven left-handed hitter to partner with Aaron Judge and challenge for American League MVP each season. The Yankees are second-to-last among all MLB teams in batting average (.227, to be exact).

Given that the Blue Jays went 89-73 last season and ended ahead of the Yankees, it is plausible that Toronto would be among the clear favourites in the AL East if Ohtani were to sign with them. The Blue Jays were second in the AL in terms of ERA (3.78) and sixth in terms of total hits (1,473) during the previous season.

Although there are many positive aspects of the Giants, they are essentially in the business of trying to court superstars. However, there are rumours that Ohtani may be turned off by Oracle Park since it is unforgiving of left-handed hitters. Even if they haven’t had a winning record, they were still considered contenders, as were the current Angels of Anaheim, where Ohtani has enjoyed his first six seasons.

How many wins does Ohtani have?

2013
Year W G
2023 Regular Season 10 23
Career Regular Season 38 86

What team was Shohei Ohtani drafted by?

From 2013 until 2017, he was an outfielder and pitcher with the Fighters in the NPB, where he helped them win the 2016 Japan Series. After the 2017 season, the Fighters sent Oaths to Major League Baseball (MLB), where he signed with the Angels and quickly took home the 2018 American League (AL) Rookie of the Year Award.

 

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