MLB Rumors: 3 Ohtani favorites, shocking Phillies trade idea, Orioles ace trade?

MLB Rumors: 3 favorites to land Shohei Ohtani this offseason revealed

This winter, the most coveted free agent will be Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who is a top slugger and starting pitcher in the American League. The expectation is that Ohtani will be the first player to receive a $500 million contract, even though he won't be pitching in the entire 2024 season. There is no doubt that there will be multiple teams trying to persuade Ohtani to sign with them. But who is considered the favorite?

New York Post MLB insider Jon Heyman revealed an updated version of his odds board for the team to land Ohtani. In terms of favorites, Heyman has the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, and the American League champion Texas Rangers tied for the best odds to land Ohtani at 6-1.

The Dodgers aren't really a surprise, as they have long been considered the favorites to sign Ohtani this winter. Not to mention they are, besides this past offseason, always in the market for the best players available.

The Giants, well, they have been linked to every top free agent in recent offseasons but failed to land one (i.e. Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper, etc.). Heyman does mention that Oracle Park could be a factor in Ohtani not signing with the Giants, considering it's "tough on left-handed hitters."

The Rangers are no strangers to spending big money, considering the amount they spent in free agency in recent years to bring in Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, and Jacob deGrom. The Rangers are paying their big-name players big bucks, but they aren't paying the likes of Evan Carter, Jonah Heim, or Josh Jung huge money just yet, so there still could be room to bring in a gargantuan Ohtani contract. Heyman says that the Rangers have actually had their eyes on Ohtani for a while.

"They got a taste of winning, are unafraid to spend, and made their first cut six years ago," writes Heyman. "Word is they were ready to go for Ohtani at midseason."

Make no mistake about it, Ohtani will be a huge domino that will have to fall this winter, then there should be a mad dash by teams who failed to land him to sign other players.