Update: 12/08/23 at 5:25 p.m. ET
Despite an earlier report from Jon Morosi that Ohtani was “en route” to Toronto, multiple reports have disputed this.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today made it clear that Ohtani is not in Toronto, nor is he on a flight there. Rather, he’s still at home in Southern California. Jim Bowden of MLB also reported that Ohtani is not in Toronto, and he has not made a decision. Bowden added that “people need to stop lying and guessing.”
The Ohtani saga has taken multiple twists in the span of just a few hours, but as of now, the latest indication seems to be that everything’s back where it started, with no Ohtani decision imminent.
Update: 12/08/23 at 4:09 p.m. ET
Shohei Ohtani is on his way to Toronto, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported after rumors that the Blue Jays were making headway on a deal.
This does not yet officially confirm that Ohtani is signing with Toronto, but it’s certainly an indication that he’s headed in that direction. As of now, he remains unsigned.
Per Morosi, a representative from CAA declined to comment about Ohtani’s travel plans.
Shohei Ohtani. Photo by Roberto Carlo
Original article: 12/08/23 at 2:20 p.m. ET
A Friday report from J.P. Hoornstra of Dodgers Nation indicated that superstar free agent Shohei Ohtani‘s decision has been made, and that he’s going to the Toronto Blue Jays. He reported that the formal announcement is expected later Friday night. He did not report the terms of the contract, though he said it’s expected to “shatter” Mike Trout‘s 12-year, $426.5 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels.
However, multiple sources have since denied that Ohtani has made a decision yet. Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet said that Ohtani has not made a decision, nor is there a timeline for one. Alden González of ESPN confirmed as much, and Jeff Passan retweeted him. Both Nicholson-Smith and González noted that the Blue Jays are still one of the finalists, and Ohtani could very well end up with them, but it’s not official as the initial report made it out to be.
If true, Ohtani’s signing comes after a wealth of deliberation and rumors, with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Angels, San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs also at the forefront of discussions. The two-way star was the most highly coveted of this year’s free agent class, and has dominated what has been a relatively slow offseason thus far.
Per Hoornstra’s original report, it came down to the Blue Jays, Dodgers and Angels. He added that the appeal of being Canada’s only MLB team played a factor.
