While the MLB Winter Meetings have mostly been unremarkable from a player movement standpoint, there’s certainly plenty of drama. The baseball world is holding its breath, waiting to see where top free agent Shohei Ohtani signs, so it’s only fitting that the drama revolved around teams pursuing the two-way phenom.
It all started Tuesday morning when USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweeted, “The Chicago Cubs’ optimism of landing Shohei Ohtani has now significantly waned, one high-ranking executive said, leaving the LA Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants as the likely finalists.”
The Chicago Cubs’ optimism of landing Shohei Ohtani has now significantly waned, one high-ranking executive said, leaving the LA Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants as the likely finalists.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 5, 2023
“Nightengale doubled down later in the day, posting a story to USA Today’s website saying, “The Chicago Cubs, however, have balked at Ohtani’s price tag of 10 years and at least $500 million, one high-ranking official told USA TODAY Sports and appear to now be out of the bidding.”
Cubs President Jed Hoyer addressed the report when speaking to the media Tuesday night, saying, “I don’t know where that report came from. I think on all of the Ohtani stuff, just like with any free agent, I’m not going to talk about discussions or meetings or where it is. I’ll keep that quiet, like anything else.”
"Just like I would any free agent, I'm not going to talk about discussions or meetings or where it is."
Jed Hoyer on a potential free agent signing.
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) December 6, 2023
While that’s what Hoyer said publicly, ESPN’s Jesse Rogers added a key detail when speaking to Chicago’s ESPN 1000. “A little inside baseball, Jed spoke with reporters a few minutes ago. As he was walking towards the group, he runs into Bob Nightengale and there were some stern words exchanged. I don’t know what was said, but stern words exchanged.”
ESPN's Jesse Rogers says on @ESPN1000 that Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer had "stern words exchanged" with USA Today's Bob Nightengale after a report that the Cubs are out on Shohei Ohtani. (h/t @CubsZone)https://t.co/JJg7tFQmnO
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 6, 2023
Ohtani’s free agency has been particularly interesting as his camp has mentioned more than once that any leaks about discussions or negotiations would be seen unfavorably, so it’s understandable why Hoyer wants to stay in front of things like that.
Chippy behavior between baseball personnel or execs and the media isn’t necessarily uncommon, even with how outrageous this sounded from the details. As recently as two months ago, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone got chippy with the Talkin’ Yanks podcast and described a host as ’emotional.’
