Where's Ohtani headed? Our guess is 1 of these 8 teams

With the 2023 season behind us and the Hot Stove ready to burn, we're taking a close look at some of the most prominent players eligible for free agency.

Name: Shohei Ohtani
Position: DH/RHP
Team: Los Angeles Angels
Age (as of Opening Day 2024): 29
2023 stats: .304/.412/.654, 44 HR, 95 RBI, 102 R, 184 OPS+
10-5, 3.14 ERA, 132 IP, 167 K, 1.061 WHIP, 142 ERA+

Since arriving in the Majors in 2018, Ohtani has challenged our perception of what a baseball player could accomplish. An All-Star slugger at the plate, an All-Star pitcher on the mound and an attraction the likes of which we have never seen, Ohtani has proven to be a true unicorn in the game, achieving things many never believed to be possible.

This winter was destined to be all about Ohtani, whose free agency was set to break contract records by an astonishing amount. After undergoing his second Tommy John surgery in September, however, Ohtani faces a future that won’t include pitching in 2024, though he’s expected to resume his two-way play beginning in '25.

Even after the surgery, Ohtani’s offensive prowess alone makes him the marquee free agent of the offseason, one worthy of an unprecedented contract. How many teams will make their pitch to bring the presumptive American League Most Valuable Player into the fold? We’re about to find out.

• Ohtani enters free agency coming off all-time walk year

POTENTIAL SUITORS (listed alphabetically)

ANGELS
The Angels opted not to trade Ohtani before last summer’s Trade Deadline, a sign that Los Angeles would ultimately try to keep its superstar. GM Perry Minasian has made it known that re-signing Ohtani is the club’s top priority, but will the Angels spend what it takes to keep him given the other holes on the roster that must be addressed this offseason? Ohtani has stressed his desire to win, so the Angels’ decision to trade for help in an effort to make the postseason was a worthwhile gamble, albeit one that ultimately backfired. The only certainty? The Angels will extend a qualifying offer to Ohtani, assuring them of Draft pick compensation if he signs elsewhere.

DODGERS
The Dodgers spent most of last winter watching other teams make big plays in free agency, leading many to believe they were simply squirreling their nuts -- or in this case, free-agent dollars -- to take a big run at Ohtani this winter. We know Ohtani is comfortable in Southern California, but would he welcome a move 30 miles north up I-5 to play at Dodger Stadium? Adding Ohtani to a lineup that already features Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman would make an already dangerous Dodgers team even more lethal.

GIANTS
The Giants took some big swings at top free agents last winter only to watch Aaron Judge return to the Yankees and a physical issue squash Carlos Correa’s arrival in San Francisco. It wouldn’t be shocking to see the Giants try to land Ohtani, who would provide the impact bat the club was seeking in Judge, while also adding a “face of the franchise” type that has been missing since Buster Posey retired. Signing Ohtani wouldn’t only bolster the Giants’ chances of winning the National League West, it would also keep the slugger from signing with the rival Dodgers.

MARINERS
Mariners fans made their initial pitch to Ohtani during the All-Star Game, breaking out into a spontaneous “Come to Seattle!” chant during each of his plate appearances. Will the Mariners get involved in the Ohtani sweepstakes? Seattle has $80 million per year locked up for Julio Rodríguez, Luis Castillo, Robbie Ray and J.P. Crawford, but if the Mariners decide to go all-in on Ohtani, it’s not unreasonable to think they could do so.

METS
Despite last summer’s Trade Deadline fire sale that saw the Mets unload Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander among others, New York will presumably jump into free agency with both feet in an attempt to get back to the postseason. Owner Steve Cohen has the financial wherewithal to pay Ohtani whatever he wants, though the Mets are said to be enamored with pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who will likely cost north of $200 million once he’s posted. It’s unclear whether Ohtani prefers to stay on the West Coast as some have speculated, but if the Mets want him badly enough, it’s difficult to imagine anybody outbidding Cohen.

PADRES
Why the Padres? Have you been paying attention? San Diego has been one of the most aggressive teams in the league in recent years, so counting GM A.J. Preller out of anything is typically a foolish exercise. The Padres have more than $210 million committed to their 2024 payroll, but what if they trade Juan Soto, who is expected to earn a raise to more than $30 million in his final year of arbitration? San Diego seems like a long shot, but when it comes to Preller and the Padres, anything is possible.

RANGERS
The Mariners aren’t the only AL West rival that could pry Ohtani away from the Angels. Texas has been a major player in free agency during the past two offseasons, signing Corey Seager and Marcus Semien prior to the 2022 season, then adding Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi last winter. Will the World Series champs make it three spending sprees in a row? The Rangers have roughly $200 million committed in payroll for 2024, though they do have more than $60 million coming off the books, with another $56 million set to drop after next season. Winning the franchise’s first title might calm the need to sign Ohtani, though adding him could make the Rangers favorites to become the sport’s first repeat champs since 2000.

RED SOX
With three last-place AL East finishes in the past four years, Boston figures to make a splash this winter, and the Red Sox have already been tabbed by some as having a good chance to land Ohtani. The Sox signed Masataka Yoshida from Japan last offseason, a move that paid off with a solid rookie campaign from the outfielder/DH. Hall of Famer and Red Sox legend Pedro Martinez even stumped for Ohtani recently, pushing for Boston to sign the superstar, though new chief baseball officer Craig Breslow seems more likely to focus on improving the pitching staff this winter -- something Ohtani wouldn’t be able to do until at least 2025.

SCOUT’S TAKE
“A generational talent who is a superstar as a hitter and pitcher, his free agency is unlike anything we have ever seen. Because of his injury, the value on the mound needs to be discounted, not only because he won’t contribute in that aspect next year, but also the longer-term risk associated with coming back from a second UCL surgery. Because the contributions on the mound are more difficult to project, I believe most teams will have to focus their investment parameters on Ohtani the hitter, where his top-of-the-scale strength makes him a unique player who can hit and hit for power in the middle of a championship lineup.

“Shohei is a tremendous athlete who clearly takes care of his body and should age well. The only concern from an offensive standpoint is that there is some zone expansion and swing/miss at times, but it is easily offset by top-of-the-scale power production. The contributions at DH alone are special enough to receive consideration for a mega-deal, but factor in the interest from big-market clubs and potential impact on the mound once fully healthy and who knows how far owners might be willing to go to add a future Hall of Famer.”

BUYER BEWARE
This is the part where we point out a flaw in the free agent’s game. Umm. Right. Sure, Ohtani was in the bottom 12th percentile in whiff rate last season and his strikeout rate was in the bottom third of the league, but are we really going to nitpick those stats? If there’s anything to make potential suitors hesitate to shell out big bucks for Ohtani, it’s that he’s had two Tommy John surgeries in five years. Ohtani plans to return to the mound in 2025, but until he’s back out there mowing down opposing hitters, there will be some question as to whether he can return to his dominant form.

FOR COMP'S SAKE
There’s no way to find a good comp for Ohtani, who is doing things no player has ever done before. Based purely on his offense, Ohtani figures to be worth at least as much as Judge, who signed a nine-year, $360 million deal to return to the Yankees last winter. Whether Ohtani -- who is a year younger than Judge was when he hit free agency -- can return to his two-way dominance remains to be seen, but potential suitors will likely have to pay him as if that’s a foregone conclusion. This contract should be unlike any other we’ve seen -- or are likely to see again anytime soon.