The Toronto Blue Jays picked up an important win on Sunday over the Los Angeles Dodgers, defeating the defending World Series champions, 5-4, in their series finale. They increased their lead in the AL East to four games over the Boston Red Sox and still have the best record in the Junior Circuit. But that victory came with a painful triumph all the same.
Shohei Ohtani hit his 40th home run, marking the third straight year he had reached that milestone. People may remember that right before Ohtani signed with the Dodgers in December 2023, there were false reports circulating that Ohtani was on a flight to Toronto and was close to joining the Blue Jays.
Ohtani's historic achievement served as a grim reminder of the Blue Jays failing to land the two-way star.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
Shohei Ohtani gives Blue Jays painful flashback
Ultimately, Ohtani preferred to stay on the West Coast, so it ultimately didn't matter. But the Blue Jays were actually in the mix for the future Hall of Famer, and they were said to be one of the finalists in the sweepstakes. Even Jon Morosi of MLB Network had latched onto the rumors that Ohtani was boarding a flight to Toronto, prompting everyone to spend an hour or two getting their hopes sky-high.
However, Ohtani chose the Dodgers, and the Blue Jays narrowly missed their chance to land the two-way superstar. If they had only landed him, they could have had a truly powerful lineup featuring Ohtani, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette. While the Blue Jays are a threat to make it to the World Series this year, they could be even stronger with Ohtani.
But it was not to be. Ohtani was never going to board a flight to Toronto, and the rumors were proven false.
This past series may have been a preview of what the World Series could look like in October. But with Ohtani, the Blue Jays would have an overwhelming advantage over the Dodgers. Instead, the Dodgers ultimately gave him the 10 years and $700 million. Not only that, but they were able to defer most of the money through the 2043 season.