Rosenthal: I Think Shohei Ohtani's MLB Free Agency Comes Down to Dodgers, Mets

Shohei Ohtani will make one of the biggest decisions of his career when he hits free agency this winter, and it appears the Los Angeles Angels could be in serious jeopardy of losing the two-way phenom.

According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal (11:30 mark), Ohtani's decision could come down to the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets.

"The Dodgers have been the favorite for a long time, or at least a team we thought would definitely be in the mix," Rosenthal said on the Foul Territory podcast. "I cannot rule out the Mets. I cannot see [Mets owner] Steve Cohen simply passing on Shohei Ohtani."

Rosenthal also added that the San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners are possibilities for Ohtani and that he doesn't think the New York Yankees will make a big push to sign the 2021 American League MVP.

The Dodgers and Mets have been considered two of the top landing spots for Ohtani since it became clear he would test free agency during the offseason in search of what should be the largest deal in major league history.

In August, Rosenthal noted that Mets general manager Billy Eppler was the one who originally signed Ohtani while he was working for the Angels from 2015 to 2020. He was hired as GM of the Mets in 2021 and hasn't been afraid to spend big money in pursuit of improving the team.

However, Ohtani is expected to put more of an emphasis on the potential to win championships over a team's location, according to The Athletic's Jim Bowden.

The Dodgers have been considered a World Series contender in each of the last 10 seasons and most recently won a championship in 2020. The Mets, meanwhile, have not won a title since 1986 and are set to miss the playoffs for the sixth time in the last seven seasons.

Ohtani, widely viewed as the best player in baseball, put together an impressive 2023 season and is viewed as the favorite to win the AL MVP award, which would be his second in the last three seasons.

In 135 games, Ohtani slashed .304/.412/.654 with 44 home runs, 95 RBI and 20 stolen bases. He also pitched 23 games, posting a 10-5 record with a 3.14 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 167 strikeouts in 132 innings.

Ohtani underwent elbow surgery on Sept. 19 and while he's expected to be fully recovered and ready to hit without restrictions by 2024, he's not expected to return to the mound until 2025.

Ohtani's surgery likely won't impact his free agency suitors, though whichever team signs him will have to wait some time before seeing him return to the mound.