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The Los Angeles Dodgers have Shohei Ohtani in their sights, even though Arte Moreno's obstinacy will likely make them wait through the end of 2023. The Angels aren't sure they're ready to sell yet, but they are sure they have no intention of sending their top chip to their in-state rivals. It is what it is.
That means the Dodgers will not get the chance to make an early impression on the face of baseball, removing the opportunity for Andrew Friedman to coax Ohtani into a lucrative extension this offseason before he opens the door to the rest of the league. In order to secure Ohtani's services long-term, they'll have to join the bidding, prepare offers of $550-$600 million, and hope he'd rather wear blue than Padres brown, Mets orange, Mariners teal, or Yankees/Red Sox gear.
One Dodgers fan spotted in the wild this weekend seems fairly certain that Friedman and Co. will take care of business, though.
An Ohtani jersey in Dodger Blue -- featuring the familiar No. 17 -- showed up at a minor-league baseball game this week. Now will it join the annals of history's great predictions alongside Joe Namath's Super Bowl guarantee, or will it become a LeBron James Knicks jersey?
Dodger fans are doing some manifesting 😅 pic.twitter.com/wpfmjgwHIw
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) July 23, 2023
Are you "Dodgers Ohtani Jersey" confident enough in Andrew Friedman?
The Dodgers don't usually miss on the men they prioritize. Ohtani will be a Dodger for the next decade if Friedman gets his way. This fan seems reasonably certain that he won't be subjected to his first free agency twist of fate this winter.
If Ohtani's behavior is an indicator, he's reserved a special place in his heart for the Dodgers, Red Sox and Yankees, three teams he's taken BP in front of in an effort to put on a secret show this season. The Padres and Mets, both big spenders this past offseason and big disappointments this season, won't be deterred from their contention plans, though.
Nobody's going to surrender their hopes of signing Ohtani before a final decision is made, but it's safe to say Dodgers fans are more optimistic than most. They're staking $200 chunks and potentially useless gear on it.