Only time will really tell where exactly superstar baseball unicorn Shohei Ohtani will play in the 2024 MLB season. Until then, fans and experts are left to come up with speculations of varying degrees of believability.
Take for example Jon Morosi of the MLB Network, who said that someone told him that Ohtani “would be very intrigued by playing for the Atlanta Braves.”
However, Morosi also expressed his doubts about such a colossal partnership pushing through, saying that he believes that Atlanta's chief goal in the offseason is to shore up their pitching.
“Now, I don't expect the Braves to sign him as their priority is upgrading the pitching staff for 2024. But that gives you an idea of where his thought process is.”
So if there's one player who can alter the set goals of any franchise in the offseason, it's Shohei Ohtani, the undisputed king of free agents this season.
Shohei Ohtani to the Braves is not impossible
Then again, having the desire to get Ohtani is different from actually laying the groundwork and financial logistics to acquire Ohtani. For the Braves, they have a dizzying expected payroll of $207 million for the 2024 MLB season, per FanGraphs. Austin Riley and Matt Olson are due to earn $21 million and $22 million in 2024, respectively, while four other Braves are due to pocket at least $16 million.
Just the idea of Ohtani joining the Braves should be enough to terrify the rest of the big leagues. The Braves are already brimming with elite talent, with guys like Riley, Olson, and Ronald Acuna Jr. If Atlanta somehow finds a way to win the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes, making a case why Atlanta shouldn't be the runaway favorite to win the World Series next season would be next to impossible.
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