The most significant storyline of this season's MLB free agency is undoubtedly focused on where Shohei Ohtani will land for the next part of his career.
Several reports have dropped surrounding the status of teams who are in or out on the two-way superstar. Jon Heyman said on a live stream with Bleacher Report on Wednesday the Chicago Cubs are firmly in the running.
"Cubs are in there. It would be a great fit," Heyman said.
Heyman said the Los Angeles Dodgers are the favorites at this time. He also said the San Francisco Giants are "in there hot." The Toronto Blue Jays have whispered interest, according to Heyman, too.
One significant nugget Heyman dropped in the livestream is the timing of the deal. Heyman said Ohtani's free agency could end as quickly as next week at the MLB Winter Meetings in Nashville.
"I'm thinking he may sign at the Winter Meetings, which would be very, very exciting," Heyman said. "That seems to be the prevailing opinion at this point. No guarantee."
Heyman said he expects Ohtani to get "around $500 million." Though, he hasn't shied away from predicting Ohtani will haul in $600 million on his next contract.
Ohtani is arguably baseball's hottest commodity in its history. The Japanese star hits and pitches at an elite level, guaranteeing him a unique contract for executing and nearly perfecting both sides of the ball. Ohtani just won his second AL MVP award this past season.
However, due to a UCL tear, Ohtani will not be able to pitch for the 2024 season. He will, however, be fully prepared to hit for whichever team lands him this offseason.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.
Will that team be the Cubs? Stay tuned, as his decision could be coming soon.
