Shohei Ohtani was the most prized free agent we've seen in years this past winter, with the Los Angeles Dodgers ultimately convincing the Japanese superstar to join them as he inked a mega 10-year, $700 million deal with $680 million deferred. Anyway, one other team was in the hunt for Ohtani until the very end and that was the Toronto Blue Jays.
Reports came out that Ohtani was flying to Toronto to meet with representatives of the organization, but that turned out to be false. That being said, the two-time MVP did meet with the Blue Jays down in Dunedin, Florida at their spring training facility. President Mark Shapiro spoke for the first time on that meeting with Ohtani and his representatives during an interview on Thursday and shed light on how exciting it was to potentially sign the two-way star.
Via The Toronto Sun:
“As far as the excitement goes, there were moments, particularly when he was here in this facility that you started to (believe that) ‘well, this kind of feels like it could really happen,’ ” Shapiro said at his annual spring training meeting with the Jays beat media. “Up until the last night … I never said this guy’s coming. I just don’t do that. It’s not my nature. A deal is not done until the deal is done.”
“It was cool on a couple levels,” Shapiro said. “It was exciting to see how engaged he was about the city and how clear his understanding was about the meaning of playing for a country. It wasn’t just the anecdotal ‘you guys represent a country.’ It was like this guy had walked around Toronto. He knew neighbourhoods he had spent time. He was thoughtful. He appreciated what was unique about Toronto, the same things that we all feel are unique.
“He appreciated the diversity, the international nature, the progressiveness. He appreciated the safety, some of the differentiation from big American cities. He was specifically recognizing those things.
“So from a point of pride from someone else that chose to come there nine years ago and what it has meant to me, it was cool to see a player like him recognize that and genuinely place us at the front of the process.”
Ohtani with Blue Jays would've been scary
As Shapiro said, it was simply an honor for Toronto to be at the front of the pack for Ohtani's services. I mean, this guy is a generational talent and could be the best baseball player to ever step on a diamond. Although the Blue Jays have yet to make a deep playoff run, this is still a very promising ball club with no shortage of talent, headlined by Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Ohtani clearly saw the potential of Toronto and had an interest in being part of it.
But despite his love for a city he barely knew, Ohtani decided to stay where he was comfortable in Southern California. You can't exactly blame him. For what it's worth though, the Blue Jays reportedly matched the Dodgers' mammoth offer.
Toronto failed to make big splash
Sure, the Blue Jays were close to signing Ohtani, but the reality is they failed to bring in a big name via free agency. Cody Bellinger was on their radar for months but he ended up returning to the Chicago Cubs. The best they did was Justin Turner, who agreed to a one-year deal. That could end up being a valuable addition though as he'll serve as a veteran presence. Turner is a reliable bat as well in the middle of the lineup. JD Martinez is the most notable FA still available and would also be a massive addition to this group.
If Toronto fails to make a run in October again, we could see this Bichette-Guerrero Jr core broken up next winter. It's now been several years without making any noise in the postseason and time is running out.
Follow Us
Subscribe