The New York Mets were totally overlooked in the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes, despite being major players in the pursuit of Japanese ace u .
The first month of MLB free agency in 2023 was largely quiet, but on Saturday, the biggest name on the market, Shohei Ohtani, ended his intense pursuit, drastically altering the situation. He broke records and probably set the bar for what many other players could get in December when he inked a massive 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Though the Toronto Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants were viewed as strong contenders for the current American League MVP, the Dodgers were always the favorites to sign the two-way superstar. Because so many elite free agents bring their talents to New York City, the New York Yankees and New York Mets were also considered possible future homes until recently.
But when it came to Ohtani, the general consensus was that it would be difficult to convince him to play on the East Coast, which is even farther away from his home Japan. Still, the Yankees and Mets had enough cash to force the three-time All-Star to at least listen. Well, not exactly as it would seem.
