Heading into MLB free agency, there’s one name at the top of everyone’s wish list: Shohei Ohtani. After six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, the former MVP finally gets to test the free agent market, and even though the two-way superstar won’t be able to pitch in 2024, he’s expected to rake in a record-breaking contract.
Naturally, Ohtani’s salary demands alone will rule some teams out of the running. His desire to compete may knock out a few others, which only leaves the 29-year-old with a select group of contenders vying for his services.
With the annual GM meetings taking place in Scottsdale, AZ, from Nov. 7-9, baseball executives have already had a chance to discuss expectations heading into the 2024 free agency market. MLB.com’s insider Mark Feinsand reports an “overwhelming majority” of baseball executives expect Ohtani to end up with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Other insiders have even suggested that Ohtani’s pending free agency directly impacted the Dodgers’ decision to avoid extending J.D. Martinez a qualifying offer.
ESPN’s Buster Olney also adds that Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman is “obsessed” with Ohtani.
After ranking sixth in MLB payroll in 2023 at $240 million, the Dodgers head into the offseason with just $108.8 million dedicated to their 2024 roster, meaning they have plenty of room to spend.
With Ohtani seemingly enjoying Los Angeles but failing to reach the playoffs in all six of his seasons with the Angels, he could find peace by joining the Dodgers instead, who have not only reached the postseason each year since 2012 but also won a World Series in 2020. The expectation early on points Ohtani to the Dodgers, but as we’ve learned before, MLB free agency is full of surprises.