Amid the Shohei Ohtani Sweepstakes, one team reportedly ruled themselves out of signing the two-way mega-star.
That one team is rumored to be the Seattle Mariners. MLB.com writer Daniel Kramer, who covers the M’s, wrote this week that the talk around Major League Baseball is that Seattle does not figure to be a player for his services.
Kramer wrote that industry sources hold that belief.
The industry belief is that the Dodgers remain the frontrunner, the Mets could be the most aggressive in their financial offer, along with the Giants, and the Rangers could be emboldened by their World Series title to keep adding. The Cubs, Red Sox, and Yankees — big-market teams looking for a rebound — are also reportedly in the mix.
Other than that, it’s been mostly crickets on the two-way superstar. Perhaps that’s by design given Ohtani’s veiled nature, but at least in Seattle, the quietude is reflective of what’s taking place behind the scenes. Industry sources told MLB.com this week that landing Ohtani doesn’t appear to be within the Mariners’ realistic agenda this offseason.
That’s certainly disappointing for Mariners fans, who are hungry for a winning and competitive team. The Mariners have been a competitor the last two seasons, but several don’t think they’re doing or have done enough. Going out and signing Ohtani would at least indicate that there’s an aggressive mindset at play. With the Rangers being in their own division, they wouldn’t even have to look far to see where that mentality might get them.
But alas, it appears that the M’s will balk at the two-way superstar Ohtani anyway. It’s a shame to see yourself not be a realistic place even before the sweepstakes get interesting.
[MLB.com]
