Shohei Ohtani Free Agency: Potential Landing Spots for MLB's Two-Way Star

Shohei Ohtani is in for the first of many milestone moments this offseason on Thursday night.

Major League Baseball's two-way sensation is expected to win his second American League MVP trophy when the announcement is made at 6 p.m. ET. But Ohtani adding another trophy to his lengthy resume has long been a given. The question looming over MLB's entire offseason is where the 29-year-old free agent will play next year and beyond.

The three-time All-Star, who is a Silver-Slugger at the plate and a Cy-Young-caliber pitcher all in one, is perhaps the most sought-after free agent in baseball history. Reports link him to seemingly all of the league's 30 teams. Ohtani spent his first six MLB seasons with the Los Angeles Angels and is coming off a season that saw him lead the AL in home runs, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage, while also posting a 3.14 ERA on the mound.

Ohtani underwent a second elbow surgery in five years in September and won't be available to pitch next season. And that clouds what kind of contract he may opt to sign.

Some reports suggest that Ohtani could aim for a short-term contract with a higher annual value this offseason. Others still contend that he could be in line for a long-term deal as high as $500 million, a value that is unprecedented in North American sports history. Whatever the case, Ohtani is about as in-demand as a free agent can be.

With that being said, here's a look at where the sport's top free agent could land this winter.

Cubs, Dodgers Among Potential Destinations

Chicago Cubs: Could Ohtani take his talents to the Friendly Confines? The Cubs were among the seven finalists to land the superstar when he first arrived on the MLB scene in 2017, and one of only two teams not on the West Coast. An obstacle standing in Chicago's way at that time was the National League not having a designated hitter.

"It was pretty clear he wanted to do both [hitting and pitching], and DHing was the best option for that," Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said last week at the general managers' meetings, via ESPN. "As good as the meeting with him went, we always knew it was going to be an uphill climb."

But that problem has since been solved. And the Cubs, who finished one game out of the playoff race this year and have just paid big bucks to bring in manager Craig Counsell, seem willing to spend. USA Today reported that several general managers believe the Cubs will be the most aggressive team in seeking Ohtani's services.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Maybe Ohtani picks Southern California again this free agency cycle, but decides to trade in his Angels uniform for some Dodger blue. Reports indicate that Ohtani values being with a winning franchise moving forward. And he could do that by staying in L.A., but joining a contender that has been to the postseason 11 years in a row.

"It just makes the most sense," Fox Sports analyst Ben Verlander said of Ohtani potentially signing with the Dodgers. "In this scenario, Ohtani stays in Southern California, where he is extremely comfortable. But he also goes to a team that actually competes for the postseason year in and year out and is constantly good enough to win 100 games in the regular season."

San Francisco Giants: The Giants came close to signing a big-name free agent in their pursuit of New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge last season. But Judge ended up staying in the Big Apple. Could the Giants close a deal this year? It seems like they are certainly set on doing so.

MLB Network insider Jon Heyman reported recently that he expects the Giants to make a big splash this winter. And Ohtani's name is at the top of the list.

"I think the Giants are going to be in there big [on Ohtani]," Heyman said. "Obviously we know they've gone for big players over the past few years. For whatever reason, they have not been able to get them[...]In this case, I do think [Oracle Park] could work against the Giants. Tough park for a left-handed power hitter[...]I do think the Giants probably have a hurdle there [but] I do think they will be in there big."

Seattle Mariners: The Mariners took a big swing in their attempt to bring Ohtani to town during his 2017 free agency. Seattle, as described on the MLB website, leveraged its geography and rich history with Japanese players to try and court Ohtani. The two-time Silver Slugger said over the summer that he has spent extended time in the Pacific Northwest, and at the league's All-Star game was met with "Come to Seattle!" pleas.

The Mariners are presumably in on Ohtani again this time around, though are keeping things quiet publicly at the moment.

"We won't talk about any single free agent," Seattle's Jerry Dipoto told reporters at the GM meetings when asked about Ohtani. "We will take care of our business and tend to our garden and try to do it pretty quietly[...]I'm sure there are 30 teams that would love to see him come to their market."

Texas Rangers: What better way to follow up a World Series victory than landing the most sought-after player in the sport? The Rangers have a "blank checkbook" available to bring in Ohtani, per ESPN's Buster Olney. And writing a check for Ohtani would mean adding one of the best hitters (not to mention pitchers) in the league to a lineup that already includes Marcus Semien (another AL MVP finalist), Corey Seager (World Series MVP), and a variety of other standouts.

Olney wrote that he believes the Rangers "would make the most sense" at the moment to sign Ohtani, though he also predicted the 29-year-old will sign with the Dodgers.

Betting Odds for Ohtani's Next Team

Ohtani is favored to stay in L.A. for the 2024 MLB season. Just with a different team.

DraftKings Sportsbook gives the Dodgers the best odds of signing the two-way star (+110), per odds available on Thursday morning. The Cubs (+350) and Giants (+650) are next in line. Two New York teams unafraid to spend some money—the Yankees and Mets—round out the top five with +800 odds to land Ohtani each.

Overall, eight teams have better odds to sign Ohtani than the Angels, according to DraftKings' odds. The others are the Rangers (+900), Red Sox (+1000), and Mariners (+1200). The Angels come in at +1600. Rounding out the odds are the Phillies (+1800), while any other team is being given +2000 odds to land the prized free agent.

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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.