MLB Rumors: Blue Jays take Shohei Ohtani secrecy to annoying levels

The Toronto Blue Jays may or may not have met with Shohei Ohtani early this week. You'll never find out, because Ohtani's camp has designed his entire free agency that way.

Ohtani and his agent, Nez Balelo, prefer secrecy. Teams interested in Ohtani will reportedly be penalized for leaks, which is an insane thing to ask in an industry that thrives on information. Ohtani is the biggest free agent in recent years. He's a two-way superstar. To expect his entire free-agent chase to remain quiet is suspect, to say the least.

MLB Rumors: Did the Toronto Blue Jays meet with Shohei Ohtani?

Per Sports Illustrated, there is some 'circumstantial evidence' which suggests Toronto may have met with Ohtani. Here's how Stephanie Apstein connected the dots:

"Blue Jays manager John Schneider, who had been scheduled to address the media on Monday afternoon, had his session moved to Tuesday. A person familiar with that process said the change had been made Friday. A team spokesperson did not return a request for comment as to whether Atkins’s classified location and Schneider’s schedule change were related. Atkins did not return a request for comment as to whether he was at that moment with Ohtani. Balelo did not return a request for comment as to whether he was at that moment with Atkins," Apstein wrote.

It should be noted that Ohtani and his agent aren't at the winter meetings, as well. So basically the Blue Jays entire representation is missing from Nashville (for now), as are Ohtani and Balelo. I'm sure that's just circumstance.

The San Francisco Giants may have met with Ohtani over the weekend, per Susan Slasser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Whoever leaked that information -- if they are in the Giants organization -- is testing Ohtani's agency at their word.

As for the Blue Jays, they will not say. Your guess is as good as mine.