6 biggest threats to Dodgers in Shohei Ohtani free agency race

The elephant in the room for the Los Angeles Dodgers this offseason is whether or not they will be able to sign Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani could very well get the biggest contract baseball has ever seen despite recently undergoing Tommy John surgery and the Dodgers took great pains to position their payroll in such a way to be able to make a run at him this offseason.

While it's fair to wonder just how much the Dodgers are actually willing to pay Ohtani as a once-in-a-lifetime type of player, they're going to be far from alone in their pursuit of him. Any team in baseball would love to have the two-way star on their roster, and between his production on the field and the marketing opportunities he brings with him, at least half the league could be somewhat in play to try and sign him (or at least they should). However, there are some teams that are bigger threats to outbid the Dodgers than others.

6 biggest threats to Dodgers in Shohei Ohtani free agency race

Sure, teams like the Rays or Brewers would kill to have Ohtani wear their uniform for 2024 and beyond, but those aren't organizations that can realistically afford him. Ohtani may not care who the highest bidder is at the end of this, but these types of teams aren't going to be willing or able to get even remotely close to the conversation. However, there are some deep-pocketed teams that have already been connected to his free agency that could present real competition for the Dodgers.

Here's a look at some of the chief threats to the Dodgers signing Ohtani.