MLB rumors: 5 biggest threats to Angels for Shohei Ohtani

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Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels takes his turn at bat in the third inning as Jose Trevino #39 of the New York Yankees defends.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 31: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels takes his turn at bat in the third inning as Jose Trevino #39 of the New York Yankees defends. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

4. The New York Yankees are a threat to sign Shohei Ohtani

Come on, you know you were thinking it too. Seriously though, the New York Yankees will certainly be a threat to sign Shohei Ohtani if the Japanese star becomes a free agent after next season. Of course, a lot of that depends on where Aaron Judge signs after this season.

The Yankees outfielder will be a free agent after this season, and while many expect the Bronx Bombers to re-sign Judge, the possibly exists for him to sign elsewhere this winter.

If Judge leaves the Yankees this offseason, then you know Brian Cashman will be looking for a big-ticket replacement. They don’t get much bigger than the reigning AL MVP. The Yankees will likely be in the mix.

3. The New York Mets are a threat to sign Shohei Ohtani

New York no longer belongs to just the Yankees. Steven Cohen’s is spending money like it’s going out of style, and you know that he’d love to have player like Shohei Ohtani mashing baseballs at Citi Field.

But the New York Mets already have a hefty payroll with the likes of Max Scherzer and Francisco Lindor. There’s also the matter of Jacob deGrom who has the ability to opt out after this season.

Pete Alonso will also be entering his final year of arbitration after the 2023 season. So while the Mets are likely to be part of the conversation for Shohei Ohtani, New York already has the highest payroll in the league. How much higher is Cohen willing to go?

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