Latest Shohei Ohtani rumors list Giants as ‘unknown’ suitors

MLB free agents have been free to sign with teams several days after the World Series concluded. But November was relatively quiet in regard to player movement.

But that’s expected to change as MLB’s winter meetings get underway Monday in Nashville. And all eyes will be on two-way star Shohei Ohtani.

Early in November, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that Ohtani plans to keep his free agency plans private.

If there is one thing to know about Shohei Ohtani’s free agency, it’s that you are unlikely to know much about it until he signs somewhere. If visits between Ohtani and a team are reported publicly, it will be held against the team, so the circles will be tiny and tight.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan

That could bode well for the San Francisco Giants. In Passan’s latest report on rumors he’s hearing before the winter meetings, he believes the Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox and New York Mets have dropped out of contention for Ohtani. His former club, the Anaheim Angels, along with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs remain major players.

Then there’s this line about the Giants.

“The San Francisco Giants have long had a fondness for Ohtani, though where they stand in these sweepstakes is unknown,” Passan wrote for ESPN.

Could San Francisco be the one organization respecting Ohtani’s privacy the most? If San Francisco is still in contention, they could be the team that offers the most to the reigning AL MVP.

USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported earlier this offseason that while some executives believe that Ohtani will remain in Los Angeles (with either the Dodgers or Angels), the Giants are expected to offer the largest contract.

Wherever Shohei Ohtani lands, whether its with the Giants or elsewhere, Passan believes the suitor will pay big, saying the figure could reach as much as $600 million.

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