Now that Shohei Ohtani is a free agent, teams are monitoring the most recent information and rumors pertaining to the two-way phenom.
Rosenthal claims that the Dodgers “need” Ohtani despite the fact that he won’t be ready to pitch until 2025 at the earliest for a number of reasons, including a lack of postseason honors and discontent within the fan base.
This logic is also consistent with a recent claim that the Dodgers’ ownership was “highly motivated” to acquire Shohei Ohtani before the postseason, and Los Angeles’ desire to sign him may only grow in light of their early playoff elimination at the hands of the D-backs.
The starting rotation is perhaps the most important area for the Dodgers to improve this offseason, and Ohtani’s elbow surgery in September will make it harder for him to contribute in that regard the following year. However, the high-priced team might have space to bring in several starters and still pursue Ohtani in the offseason.
Gonzalez points out that the Dodgers seem to have a lot of payroll flexibility in the future. Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts are the only players on the team with contracts that are guaranteed through 2025.
