OHTANI CAN'T SEE HIMSELF IN NEW YORK

Source: NBC Sports

After the second day of the Winter Meetings in Nashville, Shohei Ohtani remains unsigned. With his high demand in both price and interest, that is not a shocker. But as the days wind down, it won't be long before one of his suitors lands the two-time MVP. And the Yankees and the Mets for that matter will likely find themselves on the short hand of the stick.

"The Dodgers, Blue Jays and Giants have all reportedly met with Ohtani in recent days, and the incumbent Angels are still in the mix to re-sign him," reported CBS Sports. It is also believed that once Ohtani signs, the entire free agency field will open up significantly. The Yankees are an unlikely suitor, and not just because of the high dollars expected.

"Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Bronx Bombers “are not believed to be in the mix” for two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani, who is by far the highest valued free agent on the open market and is expected to receive a record-breaking contract. Passan mentioned that the Yankees are “reluctant to add the biggest contract in North American sports history to the quartet of Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, and Giancarlo Stanton, who are owed more than $513 million over the next four seasons," reported SI.com. 

But beyond long standing contracts, there is the fact that Ohtani does not seem the slight bit interested in coming to play for New York. "Back in the 2017-18 offseason, the Yankees reportedly gave him the highest offer when he was being posted from NPB, however, he turned them down and instead chose to sign with the Los Angeles Angels. This likely gave the Yankees the impression that Ohtani is not interested in playing for them, no matter how large their offer may be," reported SI.com.

The Yankees have shown the most interest in Juan Soto in recent days. And although the two parties seem a long way off, there is some optimism. 

So, if you haven't had the chance to come to grips that Ohtani will likely not be in pinstripes come spring, this is the opportunity to do so. Ohtani can't see himself as a Yankees so they should look elsewhere to spend their dollars to design their next championship team, which could be a few seasons away. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof