On Saturday morning, 670 The Score’s Bruce Levine reported that the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes are down to two teams and yes, the Chicago Cubs are one of them.
During the latest edition of Inside the Clubhouse, Levine said that according to his sources, it’s the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cubs for the superstar free agent.
While the Dodgers began the offseason as the heavy favorites to sign Ohtani, the Cubs have continued to be taken seriously around the baseball industry and behind the scenes have made it known that they will be making an aggressive pursuit for Ohtani.
Back in 2017, the Cubs were one of the seven finalists to sign Ohtani out of Japan. He was reportedly impressed with his visit with the club then, but one of the major reasons he signed with the Los Angeles Angels was because they were an American League team that has the designated hitter. Well, now both leagues have the DH and staying on the West Coast may no longer be high on Ohtani’s priority list when deciding where he’ll sign a record-breaking contract this offseason.
Levine added more. The Cubs interest is real.
Executives around the league do believe the Cubs will be a contender for Ohtani this winter.
Via MLB.com.
One NL executive who picked the Dodgers believes their greatest competition will not come from another West Coast team, but rather a team that made headlines this week with its managerial hire.
“He doesn’t seem to be driven by money, so I don’t think it’s just dollars,” the NL exec said. “I think it’s all about fit for him. I think the Cubs will push hard for him.”
Via Jon Heyman.
“I’m not ruling out the Cubs, if they’re willing to spend $40 million dollars on a manager, they’re going to be aggressive. They mean business.”
Via The Athletic.
The Cubs were granted an audience with Ohtani in December 2017, which could mean nothing in the complex negotiations that will fascinate the baseball world. But the Cubs again plan to be involved in Ohtani’s process, a league source confirmed, which doesn’t guarantee anything other than more rumors and daydreaming about him performing at Wrigley Field.
Via Bob Nightengale.
The Dodgers remain the heavy favorites. The Chicago Cubs and Rangers are serious contenders, with several GMs saying that the Cubs may be the most aggressive team for his services.
It’s OK to get excited Cubs fans. Get on the rollercoaster. The Cubs are in on Shohei Ohtani and that is awesome.
