Jays 'believed' to have met with Ohtani at Dunedin facility
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The Toronto Blue Jays are believed to have met with superstar free agent Shohei Ohtani in Florida on Monday at the team's spring-training facility, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Rosenthal notes that the in-person meeting likely indicates that negotiations between Ohtani and the clubs in pursuit are entering the final stages. He adds the Dodgers and Cubs are among the teams who remain in on Ohtani, who has reportedly met more teams than just the Blue Jays.
Toronto has been linked to Ohtani throughout the off-season as the team looks to make a major move this winter.
ESPN's Jeff Passan reported last week the Blue Jays were among teams "chasing" the two-way star who is expected to land the largest contract in baseball history this off-season.
The 29-year-old won his second American League's MVP this season despite being shut down with a torn ligament in his pitching elbow late in the year. He finished with a career-best .304 average to go along with 44 home runs and 95 RBI in 135 games. He also made 23 starts in 2023, posting a record of 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA, 1.061 WHIP, and 167 strikeouts in 132 innings.
Ohtani underwent elbow surgery in September and is not expected to pitch during the 2024 season, but should be ready to hit as of Opening Day.