Shohei Ohtani’s free agent journey has been unlike any superstar free agency in recent memory because it’s been extremely quiet.
MLB insiders don’t have much to report beyond a vague sense of who the two-way superstar is meeting with.
This week we found out that’s because Ohtani’s camp is enforcing silence among his free agency suitors by notifying the teams in question that any leaks would be held against them at the negotiating table.
Ohtani probably isn’t the first player to try and pull that power move but he’s definitely the best to ever do so and thus everything has been sealed up tight.
Until Dave Roberts told reporters the Los Angeles Dodgers had met with Ohtani, which launched a firestorm of debate about the rules Ohtani’s camp has put forth.
He screamed himself hoarse (of course) about the absurdity of swearing teams to silence and compared the mandate to both the atomic bomb and the Tehran conference of 1943.
Bet Russo wishes he could have the atomic bomb comparison back. One should probably avoid them entirely when speaking about a Japanese baseball player, but his Tehran reference suggests he was dead set on using something from that era.
Mad Dog Russo is in disbelief when he learns that the Dodgers deferred $680M of Shohei Ohtani's $700M contract.
The highlights…
• It is a disgrace.
• The sport is a joke.
• Rob Manfred should overrule it.
• Just give the Dodgers every superstar. pic.twitter.com/3LHKaCEMoe— Funhouse (@BackAftaThis) December 12, 2023
Russo should just go watch Oppenheimer the next time he wants to pine about the atomic bomb, though.
Last Friday, the Dodger Stadium team shop, typically kept open for fans year-round, was closed.
Los Angeles Dodgers officials spent much of the day preparing for this week’s Winter Meetings at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center.
That afternoon, a league source briefed on the matter told The Athletic, the club’s brass welcomed Shohei Ohtani for a meeting that lasted two to three hours.
Having the opportunity to meet with Ohtani was nothing short of a formality.
The franchise has coveted the two-way superstar for close to a decade and has assembled an arsenal capable of striking on what will in all likelihood be the biggest free agency in the sport’s history.
Ohtani has been the franchise’s top target for years, long before Dave Roberts said the quiet part out loud in being the only person in baseball to publicly acknowledge he met with the reclusive Japanese superstar as part of the pitch.
Roberts, in choosing to disclose the meeting to reporters Tuesday, said he thought the meeting went well.
The manager offered little detail on the subject matter of the meeting but contrasted the club’s overall approach from its last bid to woo Ohtani in 2017 when he first came stateside after showcasing his two-way talents in NPB.
“I don’t know if it was more of a pitch,”
Roberts said Tuesday.
I think that he had questions for us, just trying to get more of the landscape, but being in this league for six years he’s got a pretty good idea of the Dodgers, what we’re about, the city itself.
“I think in 2017… (it was) more of a sell on things that he didn’t really know about, the country, the city, the organization, potential role. I think it was more of just kind of feeling, trying to feel what everyday life would look like.”
Roberts said he didn’t know if Ohtani would make a second round of meetings with prospective clubs, a group that includes the Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs and incumbent Los Angeles Angels.
The rest of the Dodgers’ brass has declined to acknowledge that they met with or even have interest in Ohtani, whom Roberts called the club’s “top priority.”
Both Friedman and Gomes noted they were surprised by Roberts’ unexpected admission, one that brought transparency to a process that has lacked details.
While Roberts’ comments aren’t believed to have violated any rules from Major League Baseball, Ohtani’s camp and agent Nez Balelo have reportedly urged privacy.
Friedman, speaking to reporters Wednesday, said he “had a really good conversation” with Roberts about his comments after the fact, defusing what had become an awkward situation as Roberts huddled with public relations staffers immediately after speaking.
As his comments sparked conversation about the secrecy surrounding Ohtani’s future, country music star Brad Paisley hosted Dodgers officials, including Roberts and Friedman, at his ranch.
Friedman declined to divulge details when asked directly if he felt Roberts’ comments may have hurt the Dodgers’ chances of landing Ohtani.
“I’m not going to get into that,”
Friedman said. But one thing is clear in a market shrouded in mystery: The Dodgers are prominent figures.
Fans had this to say:
He’s right too. Respect to him for saying it even though he’s employed by MLB Network.
— Jake Asman (@JakeAsman) December 12, 2023
This is a 1 in a million unique situation. Ohtani is going to make insane endorsment money, more than his proposed salary. He's the biggest star the game has ever seen. No other player would agree to this type of contract because they know they couldn't make it up in the backend.
— Asante Scamual (@midwestbmc) December 12, 2023
The way this has been handled is such a disgrace the league owes the Toronto Blue Jays either him or an equal talent
— mitch (@TouchbackJack) December 12, 2023
Every team and player has the ability to do this. Athletes are just selfish and want their money up front
— Joey Meyers (@OGmeyers) December 12, 2023
Baseball not going to do anything. In the CBA. It’s Ohtani’s call. Also his CBT is 46 million still highest in game. Not like Dodgers forced this on agent and the player.
— DodgersLakersKingsRamsPinkFloydBurner (@59biarritz) December 12, 2023
