6 biggest threats to Dodgers in Shohei Ohtani free agency race

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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.

The Giants may be desperate to sign Ohtani

After falling on their faces in the second half of 2023, the Giants are in a tough spot going into 2024. Their roster isn't exciting whatsoever, they just fired manager Gabe Kapler (but stole Bob Melvin away from the Padres to replace him), and they can't seem to attract the big-time free agents that could potentially put them over the top. Sure, they could have signed Correa, but it seems like they may have dodged a bullet there.

By all accounts, it sounds like Farhan Zaidi and Co. are looking to swing big this offseason yet again. They have already been connected to stud Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who isn't going to come cheap, and are also heavily rumored to be willing to make a strong play for Ohtani. Being a west coast team amplifies the marketing advantages of signing Ohtani, and San Fran needs star power on both sides of the ball. They would have to wait a year for Ohtani to take the mound, but he's pretty much everything they need in a single package.

The Red Sox are connected to Ohtani and need to make a big splash

The Red Sox are a team that is in transition, which could complicate any push to go after Ohtani. They only introduced their new front office lead, Craig Breslow, just recently, and he's going to need some time to get his feet under him and decide how he wants to approach this offseason. However, not only is Boston a big market team that could afford the MVP, but he's a fit in Boston on a number of levels.

Ohtani has already been linked with the Red Sox due to their need for a quality DH and frontline starting pitcher. There's also the fact he already has an endorsement deal with New Balance, which is based in the area. Boston has plenty of room available under the luxury tax for 2024 as things stand right now, but the Red Sox's ownership and their willingness to pony up that kind of money is the real unknown at the moment.

The Cubs could be a surprising entrant into the Ohtani sweepstakes

The Cubs have already made one surprising move this offseason when they hired Craig Counsell away from the division-rival Brewers even though they had already publicly committed to David Ross for 2024. Life comes at you fast. The Cubs are certainly trying to be competitive after signing Dansby Swanson, and their late-season collapse this year, which cost them a playoff spot, may have given them extra motivation going into free agency.

However, it was still somewhat surprising to hear at least one National League executive say that he expected Chicago to make a huge push for Ohtani. The Cubs typically don't play in the deepest part of the free agent pool, and Ohtani's contract could mean committing $500+ million over the next decade. However, they certainly could use his bat next season with Cody Bellinger hitting free agency. Also, the 2-for-1 upside may be too good to pass up.

Ohtani could be persuaded by the Mets given Steve Cohen's open wallet approach

Look, anytime a high-profile free agent hits the market, the Mets are going to be mentioned as a potential landing spot. Steve Cohen has no issue spending in a carefree manner and he really, really wants to bring a World Series trophy back to Queens. The Mets may be talking about shifting their attention to the future more than the 2024 season, but Ohtani would be under contract for that window as well and would instantly lend even more credibility to their title aspirations.

The problem here is that Ohtani may not want to wait around for the Mets to figure things out. The 2023 season was an absolute disaster for the Mets after they committed the GDP of a small country into a roster that finished fourth in the NL East and 12 games below .500. New York may be willing to pay Ohtani, but it does seem like a big part of his decision calculus right now is wanting to play for a contender, and the Mets are a bit of a mess.

The Angels are going to stay in play as long as possible for better or worse

Speaking of a team that doesn't have the look of a contender but who also may be desperate to have Ohtani, returning to the Angels is going to remain an option this offseason. LA really wants to keep him around to pair with Mike Trout and they really did try to go for it at this year's trade deadline. While that really didn't work out well for them, it could have showed Ohtani they are committed to competing if he sticks with them.

Unfortunately, the Angels are not a very good baseball team. They cannot develop pitching or even sign competent pitchers, and the offense, even with Ohtani in the lineup, was extremely hit or miss, especially with Trout dealing with injuries yet again. LA will certainly try to build a roster to try and bring Ohtani back, but they aren't among the favorites to land him right now.

The Rangers are all-in and they covet Ohtani

Fresh off a World Series win, Texas' strategy of going big in free agency and the trade market the last couple of years has been vindicated. They have already brought in Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, Jordan Montgomery and Max Scherzer in the last calendar year. While the deGrom signing was a bit of a whiff as he got hurt (as did Scherzer), a lot of those guys were a big reason why the Rangers were able to take the title home.

Texas has already been mentioned as a potential landing spot for Ohtani likely due to their free-spending ways (and the fact they are certainly going to be good again next season), but there are some problems here. On the marketing side, Texas isn't the greatest place to attract eyeballs. The Rangers are already really close to the luxury tax threshold with a lot of that payroll tied up for a while. They will certainly be players for Ohtani, but there has to be a limit to how much they can spend at some point.

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