The biggest story of the MLB offseason was also supposed to be its biggest secret.
Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani is a free agent and has suitors across the majors vying for the chance to pay him hundreds of millions of dollars to both hit and pitch for their team.
But before he began his free agency journey, it was reported that Ohtani intended to keep the process under wraps until he was ready to announce his decision.
"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," ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported in November. "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."
For a while, Ohtani's wish seemed to be honored, as minimal updates were provided in the weeks following the end of the MLB season. But at winter meetings this week, the hot stove couldn't help but start to sizzle.
Both the Blue Jays and Dodgers commented on their meetings with Ohtani. While it's possible that Ohtani's wishes have changed in the interim, the updates, while welcomed by baseball fans, were a bit confusing given the circumstances.
Why are they leaking the meeting when they literally said they don’t want this stuff public lol
— RB (@rbhockey6) December 5, 2023
so much for the “don’t leak our meetings”
— Switch - A Mariners Fan (@IISwitchII) December 5, 2023
Shohei seeing reports being leaked pic.twitter.com/rFcDlWdhIH
— Clint Barnett (@Barnie10CB) December 5, 2023
Lmao this is exactly what Sho said he didn’t want to happen
— 🌎Austin Usher🌴 (@ihavethebeard) December 5, 2023
the first rule of trying to sign shohei ohtani is you don’t talk about trying to sign shohei ohtani. clearly not a dodger
— Benji🛹🥏🌴 (@BigBoiBennothy) December 5, 2023
Most shocking of all were the comments from Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who was open with reporters about the team's meeting with Ohtani.
While it's possible that Ohtani's stance on the publicity of his free agency process has shifted, it's worth noting that when Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes heard about Roberts' statement, he was surprised, and opted against commenting any further on the meeting.
Regardless of Ohtani's preferences, these talks were bound to get out sooner or later—privacy is hard to come by when the most thrilling baseball star in a century is choosing his next home. That said, if Ohtani really is holding it against teams who let it slip that they met with him, Dodgers and Blue Jays fans might have some questions for the company brass in the coming months.
