MLB Rumors: Ohtani surprise, Cardinals trade talk, Hader destinations

Shohei Ohtani willing to accept short-term contract this offseason?

This winter, all eyes will be on Los Angeles Angels star slugger and pitcher Shohei Ohtani. It's been a long time since we've seen a player like Ohtani be dominant in both aspects of the game. Now, he's set to become a free agent after likely winning his second American League MVP Award, and is slated to command one of the richest contracts in MLB history.

Or, could Ohtani have other plans?

According to ESPN's Alden Gonzalez"people familiar with Ohtani's thinking" believe he could be open to a short-term deal, but with an "exceedingly high average annual value."

Gonzalez says that this would open the doors for more teams to try and sign him.

Gonzalez says that if this were the route Ohtani were to go, he would break the record for average annual salary set by Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, who each earned $43.3 million per year on their contracts with the New York Mets.

There has been a lot of talk as to where Ohtani might sign this offseason. ESPN's Jeff Passan mentioned that the Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, and Texas Rangers are expected to be in the running for Ohtani. USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported that some league executives believe that Ohtani will sign with either the Rangers of Chicago Cubs if he doesn't sign with the Angels or Dodgers.

Ohtani will be the most in-demand free agent this offseason, and the ball is in his court. He could very well command over $500 million in total on a long-term contract. But it sounds like the two-way superstar appears open to accepting a short-term deal.