The first day of the MLB winter meetings has been a snooze (literally—at least one reporter fell asleep in the press room), but that could change soon. Circumstantial evidence points to the possibility that Shohei Ohtani, the jewel of the sport and of the offseason, might be advancing in conversations with the Blue Jays.
Ohtani, 29, has been linked with Toronto for weeks, although both sides have taken pains to keep machinations quiet. On Monday there may have been a development. Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins reportedly switched his scheduled in-person media availability to Zoom, then declined to tell reporters where he was. Ohtani’s agent, Nez Balelo, was not believed to be in Nashville on Monday either. Ohtani is thought to be at home somewhere in the western United States, perhaps with his dog, whose name he has also not disclosed. (This is the level of secrecy we are dealing with.)
Meanwhile, Blue Jays manager John Schneider, who had been scheduled to address the media on Monday afternoon, had his session moved to Tuesday. A person familiar with that process said the change had been made Friday. A team spokesperson did not return a request for comment as to whether Atkins’s classified location and Schneider’s schedule change were related. Atkins did not return a request for comment as to whether he was at that moment with Ohtani. Balelo did not return a request for comment as to whether he was at that moment with Atkins.
