Dave Roberts might have indicated Dodgers out on Shohei Ohtani without saying a word

If Shohei Ohtani was going to leave the Los Angeles Angels this offseason, the clear and easy front-runner had to have been the Los Angeles Dodgers ... or that was until Dave Roberts opened his mouth.

While the Dodgers are still in contention to land him, along with the Angels, the San Francisco Giants and the Toronto Blue Jays, Roberts' tactless comments certainly were an issue.

In layman's terms, Ohtani's camp does not want anything to leak to the media about him visiting with other teams. While he has supposedly met with the Blue Jays and Giants, in addition to his current team in the Angels, Toronto and San Francisco did not confirm said meetings. Roberts, on the other hand, flat-out told the media that yes, the Dodgers have met with Ohtani this offseason. Good job...

To make matters worse for him, Roberts apparently got a scathing text message from the Dodgers' brass about publicly disclosing their private meeting with Ohtani. Here is what USA TODAY Sports' Bob Nightengale had to say about that. I don't even think Roberts knew what he did so very wrong.

"(Dave) Roberts spoke freely and relaxed for 20 minutes, but the moment his media session ended, a stern text message on his cellphone awaited him. He immediately huddled with Dodgers’ public relations officials to make sure he was no longer so candid."

This is a big no-no for any potential Ohtani suitor. He has prioritized going to a winning organization above all else, as he has never played postseason baseball since coming over to the Halos from Japan. While teams like the Chicago Cubs seemed to have backed up of the mix (though, you'll have to ask Jed Hoyer about that), it may be more likely that Ohtani signs with a dark horse like the Atlanta Braves over the formerly front-running Dodgers.

This is another reason why the Dodgers have only won one World Series under Roberts' guidance...

Dave Roberts may have screwed the pooch on Dodgers landing Ohtani

Ohtani may be the biggest superstar in baseball today, but he is not one to get all cozy with the media. He tries to maintain some levels of privacy in his personal life. While he would not have to move if he switched Los Angeles franchises, he may want to go to more of an ascending franchise like the Blue Jays or Giants are perceived to be that to just win NL West pennants with the Dodgers.

To me, I think the allure of playing for Canada's lone franchise could be appealing. Blue Jays games are nationally televised north of the border, so that could be huge for his growing international brand. Initially, he wanted to stay on the West Coast to be closer to his native Japan, so that could be a huge boost for the Giants, as San Francisco can provide him relative proximity and the promise of winning.

Frankly, Roberts getting a stern text from the Los Angeles brass after speaking this candidly with the media bit everyone in Dodger Blue in the ass. Ohtani's camp wanting to keep this private is frustrating, but has everyone's intrigue. Word on the street is that he will be deciding by the end of the weekend. He could still go to the Dodgers, but their stock on landing him has taking a hit.

Roberts' comments about Ohtani, combined with an early playoff exit in 2024 could cost him his job.