3 teams shockingly delighted they didn’t sign Shohei Ohtani right now

Los Angeles Dodgers DH/P Shohei Ohtani appeared in front of the media on Monday to issue a prepared statement about the ongoing gambling scandal centered on his former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. A total of $4.5 million was wired from Ohtani's account to an illegal bookmaker, with Ohtani now claiming he is a victim of fraud and theft at the hands of a former friend.

In his controversial media tell-all, Ohtani spoke about how Mizuhara allegedly kept him in the dark and controlled the flow of information to and from Ohtani. In the end, after Mizuhara opened up to Ohtani about his gambling debt in a one-on-one conversation, Ohtani called representatives to get the story set straight. Allegedly.

That's all a fairly reasonable explanation, assuming you're willing to believe that Ohtani essentially avoided social media and let all communications with his reps go exclusively through Mizuhara. If anything, this reflects most poorly on Ohtani's agents and those in the MLB superstar's orbit. If Mizuhara was truly manipulating those lines of communication, it shouldn't have taken long for the reps to speak directly with Ohtani about accusations involving his interpreter.

Anyhow, the MLB is officially investigating the matter and Ohtani claims that he is ready to focus on the season ahead. There's a good chance nothing more comes of this — that Ohtani is telling the truth and was very cleverly deceived by a friend — but still, the Dodgers spent $700 million to lure Ohtani across town. These are explosive claims to be levied at your new franchise cornerstone before the season even starts.

So... are the teams who missed out on Ohtani breathing a sigh of relief right now? Quite possibly, yes.

3. We know Shohei Ohtani was interested in the Braves at one point

While it never felt particularly likely, we know the Atlanta Braves were considered a team of interest for Shohei Ohtani at one point. Ohtani would have gone against every principle of Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos — signing an injured player to an exorbitant long-term contract — but it was a compelling thought exercise. If ever there was a player to break one's principles for, it's Ohtani.

Well, that was at least the pervasive thought process during the offseason. Now? The Braves are still every bit Los Angeles' equal on paper, but without the distraction of a multi-million dollar gambling scandal hanging over the team. Ohtani doesn't appear all that rattled judging by his performance at the plate in recent games, but it's a dark cloud the Dodgers won't soon shed.

Atlanta has built probably the most sustainable competitive core in baseball. It's a fairly young team comprised of several All-Stars, most of whom are signed long-term at or below market value. Ohtani would've thrown the Braves' finances out of whack, and for what? Just to get hammered by the Phillies again after Ohtani dodges suspension and weathers the harsh storm of public opinion?

Maybe this is all a bit unfair to Ohtani. He seems like a decent dude who only cares about baseball. The Braves are a great baseball team in a baseball town. But, right now, Atlanta is probably glad it never tossed its hat in the ring.

2. Are the Angels glad the Shohei Ohtani era is finished?

The Los Angeles Angels made every effort to re-sign Ohtani and were reportedly in the mix right down to the wire. But, after weeks of consideration, the 29-year-old opted to hop across town to the Dodgers. It was a moment of deep sadness for the Angels fanbase. Not only did their franchise cornerstone leave, but he joined the glitzier team a few miles away. Bummer.

Now, the Angels' fanbase is probably starting to perk up a bit. Despite the steadfast commitment from ownership, at least financially, it's important to remember the Angels never won anything with Ohtani. He put together six historic seasons with the Halos and he made the playoffs — checks notes — zero times. Again, for those in the back, Ohtani spent six seasons in Anaheim and made the playoffs zip, zero, nada. Never.

There's an exceedingly real chance that Los Angeles would have simply fallen back into the same pattern of mediocrity if Ohtani re-signed. It's fun to watch two of baseball's all-time greats in the same lineup, but if the team around them flunks time and time again, what's the point? Maybe the Angels needed a fresh start.

Ohtani's gambling controversy only drives home the point. Imagine trudging through an 80-win season while hearing jokes about Ohtani betting the under on the Angels' win total. That sounds like torture for the Halo fans out there. It won't be particularly appealing to watch Ohtani tear it up in Dodgers blue, but hey, there is a definite silver lining here.

1. Shohei Ohtani would've brought shame on the Yankees franchise

The New York Yankees franchise is defined by its unmatched pride and ego. No team ascribes greater self-importance than New York. The Yankees want you to cut your hair, shine your shoes, and forget about a name on the back of your uniform. It's all about the team — about the Yankees — and anything that takes away from the pinstripes brand is a blight.

Just imagine how this scandal would be covered by the New York media, how the entire Yankees franchise would melt at the mere suggestion that Ohtani might have been aware of illegal gambling. Again, he's probably clean. There are unanswered questions, but it's hard to imagine Ohtani so forcefully changing his story and pushing for legal action without some sort of valid reasoning.

But... we are talking about the Yankees. That's not to say New York hasn't endured its share of controversies over the years, but the Yankees generally don't mess with anything that could meaningfully harm the organization's reputation. Being tied to Ohtani for a decade amid this level of scandal doesn't sound like it would make Hal Steinbrenner and the front office very comfortable. Especially not with how reluctant New York is to expand its tax bill.

We all would've begrudgingly taken interest in watching Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge (and maybe even Juan Soto) share the baseball diamond. That lineup would've been stacked, then stacked some more. But, these days, the Yankees are probably glad Ohtani is on the opposite coast while all this goes down.