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Which MLB teams should be all-in on Shohei Ohtani?

By Joshua Sadlock

TOKYO, JAPAN - NOVEMBER 19: Starting pitcher Shohei Otani #16 of Japan throws in the top of fifth inning during the WBSC Premier 12 semi final match between South Korea and Japan at the Tokyo Dome on November 19, 2015 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Masterpress/Getty Images)
TOKYO, JAPAN - NOVEMBER 19: Starting pitcher Shohei Otani #16 of Japan throws in the top of fifth inning during the WBSC Premier 12 semi final match between South Korea and Japan at the Tokyo Dome on November 19, 2015 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Masterpress/Getty Images) /
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SEATTLE, WA – SEPTEMBER 30: GM Jerry Dipoto of the Seattle Mariners looks on from the dugout prior to the game against the Houston Astros at Safeco Field on September 30, 2015 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA – SEPTEMBER 30: GM Jerry Dipoto of the Seattle Mariners looks on from the dugout prior to the game against the Houston Astros at Safeco Field on September 30, 2015 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) /

4. Seattle Mariners

Folks, it is with great pleasure that I am ready to announce that Seattle Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto is at it again. MLB’s wheelingest and dealingest general manager has spent the first few weeks of the offseason maneuvering to grab more international pool money. On Thursday, he moved pitcher Thyago Vieira to the Chicago White Sox for an extra $500,000 of bonus money. That can only point to the Mariners gearing up to make an aggressive push for Shohei Ohtani.

With the latest move, the Mariners have over $1.5 million of offer the Japanese pitcher/slugger. That’s not quite as much as the other high rollers with international bonus cash to burn, but it’s up there. Only four teams can offer Ohtani upwards of seven figures, and the Mariners can offer a very compelling recruiting pitch — and they definitely need help in the starting pitching department.

No team in the league has been a better destination for Japanese players than Seattle. The city has a high Japanese population, making it an easy jump across the Pacific ocean from a cultural standpoint. The Mariners have counted Ichiro Suzuki, Hisashi Iwakuma, Kaz Sasaki and Kenji Johjima among their ranks over the years and all have been embraced heartily by the city and fans.

I also would not count out the Mariners in the pursuit of Yu Darvish, and if they can reel him in, that could make them a lock to sign Ohtani. The Mariners do not have a hugely pressing need for an extra DH, seeing as Nelson Cruz played only five games in the outfield last year. Cruz’s deal is up at the end of the year, so if Ohtani can handle limited at-bats this year, his time as a hitter could come in 2019.

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