If you are the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, or any other team with the slightest bit of chance of landing Shohei Ohtani, you may want to be careful what you leak to the media.
The Shohei Ohtani Sweepstakes will be the biggest storyline of the MLB free agency period. And while the spotlight has surrounded the two-way superstar throughout his major league career, the 29-year-old reportedly has no interest in that being the case during a free agency tour that will include secret visits.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported earlier this week that while there is an understandable palpable buzz surrounding Ohtani and his free agency, teams pursuing the 2023 American League MVP would be better suited to keeping any information related to his process close to vest.
“If there is one thing to know about Shohei Ohtani’s free agency, it’s that you are unlikely to know much about it until he signs somewhere,” Passan wrote. “If visits between Ohtani and a team are reported publicly, it will be held against the team, so the circles will be tiny and tight.”
Ohtani is not only the best player on the market, but undoubtedly the best player in the league, so money won’t be an object for the pitcher/hitter. But it’s not just money that Ohtani is looking for. The 29-year-old is also looking for interested teams to respect his privacy and avoid the media frenzy that may come with signing a record contract in the $500 million range.
Teams vying for Ohtani’s services must tread carefully, balancing their pursuit of one of the greatest players this game’s ever seen with the need to preserve his privacy. His desire for discretion underscores the importance of respecting his wishes amidst a negotiation process in which seemingly every big market team will be involved.
Front offices around MLB will have to prioritize Ohtani’s right to keep his free agency private to maximize their chances of securing one of the most highly-coveted free agents to ever hit the open market. Ultimately, that’s not going to be why a team lands Ohtani in a highly-anticipated bidding war. But, as Passan writes, it will be held against them if what he thought was private information becomes public.
[ESPN via Sports Illustrated]
