- The New York Mets are the current +300 betting favorites to be Shohei Ohtani’s next team if he leaves the Los Angeles Angels.
- The Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, and San Diego Padres have the next bet odds at +600.
- Ohtani is expected to pursue free agency after the end of the upcoming MLB season.
Shohei Ohtani will not be a free agent until the end of the upcoming season. But as early as now, teams are preparing for what is expected to be the biggest free agency bidding in the history of professional sports.
Ohtani is expected to hit the open market after the 2023 season and if he decides to leave the Los Angeles Angels, the New York Mets are the +300 favorite to land the Japanese dual-threat phenom.
Insane Offer from the Mets
A report from the New York Post said that New York Mets owner Steve Cohen will put his team in the middle of the Ohtani bidding war. Though Cohen played it coy when asked about Ohtani, an executive from the team said that the Mets will make Ohtani the highest-paid player in the history of the sport whether he plays for them or not.
The Mets person said that Cohen and his front office are preparing an insane offer that will force the other bidders to offer more if they want Ohtani. As the executive mentioned, if someone else wants to beat their offer, then go ahead.
Here’s one Mets person regarding Ohtani:
“The Mets will make Ohtani the best-paid player in the history of sports — whether he plays for the Mets or not — because the offer will be insane. And if someone else wants to beat it go ahead.” https://t.co/rkwIqr2OBd
— Michael Mayer (@mikemayer22) January 31, 2023
Ohtani is expected to fetch a record-setting contract in free agency, in the $450-500m price range. BetOnline has set the over/under odds for Ohtani’s contract at $499.5 million with the over currently priced at -140 odds. Given the recent contracts signed in major league baseball, there is no doubt, betting on the over has excellent betting value.
Despite Ohtani’s hefty price tag, Cohen is a billionaire who has very deep pockets. On the day he was announced as the Mets’ new owner, the former hedge fund manager promised to spend to build a championship team. Last year, Cohen reiterated his vow and even went on to say he will fulfill his promise no matter what the cost.
Other Teams Linked to Ohtani
The Chicago Cubs have the second-shortest odds to land Ohtani if he leaves the Mets. At +500 odds, Chicago has proved that they are willing to spend big bucks in free agency. One needs to look no further than this past winter when they spent over $300 million to improve their roster.
Next on the BetOnline odds board are the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, and San Diego Padres who are all listed at +600.
Los Angeles last won the World Series in 2020 and reached the NLCS the following year. They also shed more than $100 million in salaries during the 2022 season and, although they have not said why officially, many believe they are preparing to make an offer that will rival the Mets’ bid for Ohtani.
The Yankees, like the Mets, are not shy about spending big bucks to acquire talent. And yes, there is no doubt that Ohtani would look good in pinstripes. On the other hand, the Padres are reportedly all-in on Ohtani.
This offseason, the team made a total of over $1 billion in offers to Aaron Judge, Trea Turner, and Xander Bogaerts. There is no reason why they will not offer Ohtani the moon.
The Dodgers, Yankees, and Padres are in the Top 5 in the latest World Series odds boards with New York at second with their +650 odds, San Diego third at +750, and the Dodgers 5th at +850. It is also worth noting that the Mets at +800 are 4th. These odds are important here because of what “Shotime” wants.
.@Angels GM Perry Minasian says the team wants to retain Shohei Ohtani for a long time. The two-way superstar has made it clear that, above all, he wants to win.
Ohtani's contract situation is one of several storylines to watch as spring training starts.https://t.co/fbOnTBZ2rF
— L.A. Times Sports (@latimessports) February 14, 2023
Ohtani Wants to Win
Ohtani has repeatedly said that winning is his priority and if that is so then his future may not be with the Angels. He has never been to the postseason in five seasons with Los Angeles. They have not won a playoff game since 2009, have not made the postseason since 2014, and have the longest current playoff drought in MLB.
Last season, the Angels finished with a 73-89 record including 49-76 in their last 125 games despite Ohtani having another incredible year. This coming season, their win total has been set at 81.5 wins and they are a -220 odds-on favorite to miss the playoffs once again.
The Angels are also in the bottom 15 of the latest World Series odds board at online sportsbook BetOnline with +4500 odds. They have the 4th worst odds to win the AL Pennant at +2200 odds and are the +150 betting favorites to finish last in the AL West Division.
But, while the sportsbooks are not liking the Angels’ odds in 2023, oddsmakers are expecting another spectacular season from Ohtani.
The 28-year-old dual-threat superstar is the current +210 betting favorite to win the 2023 AL MVP award, ahead of teammate Mike Trout who is pegged at +510, and reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees who is priced at +650.
Runner-Up in 2022 AL MVP Balloting
One season after winning the AL MVP award, Ohtani finished runner-up to Aaron Judge in the 2022 AL MVP balloting. Although Judge broke Roger Maris’ longtime AL homerun record, Ohtani still put together one of the greatest individual seasons in MLB history and equally deserved the MVP as Judge did.
As a hitter, Ohtani’s numbers rivaled those of his 2021 MVP campaign. He hit 34 home runs and had 95 RBIs as compared to 46 home runs and 100 RBIs in 2021. But Ohtani fared better from the plate in 2022, hitting .273 this past season versus .257 during his MVP year. He also struck out 28 times fewer despite having 49 more at-bats last season.
On the mound, Ohtani was even more impressive in 2022 than in 2021 with a breakout season. During his MVP year, he went 9-2 with an ERA of 3.18, WHIP of 1.09, and a 3.52 FIP in 130.1 innings pitched. Last season, Ohtani turned into one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball.
Ohtani went 15-9 with a dominant 2.33 ERA, a WHIP of 1.01, and leading the league with 11.87 strikeouts in 9 innings. In advanced pitching stats, Ohtani ranked first in Skill-Interactive Run Average (SIERA) at 2.73, second in the AL with an Expected ERA (xERA), and second in FIP (2.40).
