Will AL MVP Shohei Ohtani make free agency decision this week?

As per MLB Network, the decision on the future of Shohei Ohtani could be on it's way in the upcoming days as winter meetings start this week.

Will AL MVP Shohei Ohtani make free agency decision this week?

Shohei Ohtani (Pic Credit: Imago)

The offseason time in MLB is continuing to shape with exciting transfer talks. One of the biggest transfers that will likely take place is of Shohei Ohtani. The 2023 American League MVP declined the qualifying offer of the Los Angeles Angels and is one of the biggest names in the free agency. A stunning report now claims that the two-way Japanese star could make a decision regarding his future this week.

The 29-year-old enjoyed another stellar individual season with the LA Angels. He slammed 44 home runs with the bat and picked up 167 strikeouts as a two-way player. He though suffered an elbow injury which forced an early exit.

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Many experts have debated about his next contract. It is expected to be the biggest one in MLB history. As per some, he is expected to land a contract within the range of $500-$600 million. The value of this could come down with the speculations that Ohtani might not be pitching in the 2024 season.

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As per Jon Morosi of MLB Network, Shohei Ohtani is likely to decide on a team “within the next week“. Morosi shared this update on Sunday which has seen the fans go frenzy. This has made things interesting as several big teams are fighting for his signature. Whether he will make a decision this week remains to be seen.

Three teams emerge as favorites to sign Shohei Ohtani

Which team will sign Shohei Ohtani in this offseason is the thing everyone is looking forward to see. This topic has dominated baseball conversations for a while. Several marquee names have been reported to be trying to get him. Following this latest report, three teams have now emerged as favorites to get the Japanese superstar.

The biggest name on this is the Los Angeles Dodgers. The National League West side have been the heavy favorites from the get-go. They also have the finances to get the Japanese international on the board.

Shohei Ohtani
Shohei Ohtani (Pic Credit: Imago)

The other two names that have prompt up now are the Chicago Cubs and the Toronto Blue Jays. The two sides are said to be pushing hard to get their hands on him from free agency. The MLB Network would share a post on X with possible line-ups of these three teams with Ohtani in it.

A clarity on this could be achieved in the upcoming days as the winter meetings come up this week. It is likely that temperatures in some of this meetings will get hot as the MLB offseason rolls on.

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