The coveted free agency of Shohei Ohtani ended with the two-way superstar inking a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers.
Despite reports over the weekend claiming Ohtani was on a private jet headed to Toronto, potentially to sign with the Blue Jays, it turns out the 29-year-old was back home in Southern California putting the final touches on his mega deal with Los Angeles.
Although Toronto failed to sign the most sought-after free agent in MLB history, the franchise was reportedly competitive in its pursuit of Ohtani, at least in terms of the finances of a deal.
According to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet, the Blue Jays reportedly submitted a “very competitive” offer for Ohtani that was “right there” with the Dodgers’ $700 million deal.
Nicholson-Smith reports that his sources say Toronto’s offer was in the financial ballpark of that of the Dodgers, though the exact details of their proposal were not revealed.
Whether or not the Blue Jays were truly in the running for Ohtani, or if he was using them as a means to gain leverage in his negotiations with L.A., remains to be seen.
Still, the report suggests Toronto was willing to financially commit to a massive deal for Ohtani, potentially as much as the Dodgers’ $700 million, even if it didn’t come to fruition. George Springer’s six-year, $150 million deal is the largest in franchise history, though that figure would’ve been blown away by Ohtani’s deal had he signed with the Jays.
