The Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes will dominate the MLB offseason discussions. Plenty of teams, mostly the Los Angeles Dodgers, have been mentioned as the potential next team for the Los Angeles Angels superstar. One new team rumored to be in the mix is one of the last two teams standing in the 2023 season.

The Texas Rangers' high-spending ways have gotten them into the World Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Could they keep spending and land Ohtani, who is sure to get one of the biggest contracts in baseball history, from their divisional rival?

On “The Show” podcast by New York Post reporters Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman, the Rangers were mentioned as a potential suitor for Ohtani at the 39:15 mark.

Could the Rangers sign Shohei Ohtani?

Shohei Ohtani in a Rangers hat
CP

“You know, the Rangers were planning to be very aggressive to try to get him at the trade deadline,” Sherman said. “And I just think it would be a great story if him and [Jacob] deGrom show up in the 2025 rotation with the Texas Rangers as they do this. And obviously, Ohtani would hit next year. So, I'm putting them down as a real wild card. I think if they win, they kind of get the fever of this. Even if they don’t win, they have the fever of this. Their ownership seems to be committed to trying to do some large stuff.”

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The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, who was a guest on the episode, agreed with Sherman. With the Rangers being some of the biggest spenders in recent years, it seems likely that they will look into the possibility of landing Ohtani.

The Rangers' designated hitter spot has mostly been occupied by Mitch Garver this season. His .870 regular-season OPS was very good and through nine playoff games in 2023, he has posted an .898 OPS. But Ohtani's 1.066 OPS was the very best in baseball this season. For arguably the best hitter on the planet and one of the best pitchers, Texas would make room for him.

Any team that is ready to spend will be looking to sign Shohei Ohtani and the Angels will pull out all the stops to keep him. The Rangers' success and willingness to pay him will help them in their pursuit.