Shohei Ohtani will not be signing with the new york yankees. The biggest prize in MLB free agency this offseason, Ohtani was being sought by the Yankees to help lead the pitching staff for the 2018 season and beyond. A report by Sports Illustrated reveals that Ohtani is not interested in playing for the Yankees, ruling out one of the teams that many analysts felt had a good shot at landing the “Babe Ruth of Japan.”

This is huge news for many baseball fans and especially those fans rooting for teams that are trying to land him. One team that may suddenly have a great shot at signing Shohei Ohtani is the Seattle Mariners.

Mariners’ general manager Jerry Dipoto has stated that the front office is pushing hard to sign him, even asking star players on the team to clear their schedules next week to possible meet with Ohtani.

Confirmation Yankees are out of the picture

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told reporters on Sunday (Dec. 3) that the team has not been invited to give an in-person presentation to Shohei Ohtani. Only teams that have been invited stand a chance at landing the star pitcher and hitter from Japan. Earlier, it was also revealed that the Boston Red Sox are also out of the running.

Teams considered to remain in contention to sign Ohtani include the Seattle Mariners, San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Dodgers.

There is certainly the chance that a mystery team could pop up during the negotiating period, but these are the teams that have vocally shown support and also been suggested as interesting Ohtani.

Could the Mariners really interest Ohtani?

The Seattle Mariners have been trying hard to improve their roster for the 2018 season and beyond.

Adding a piece like Shohei Ohtani, who could pitch and play designated hitter on days where he isn’t on the mound, would certainly give the team a lot of additional buzz for next year.

Additional Seattle Mariners rumors have been confirmed by the team, with starting pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma signing a minor league contract with the team.

He will come to Spring Training trying to earn a spot in the rotation, which could be seen as a way to also entice Ohtani. The Mariners also pulled off a trade to address an opening at first base. Mariners’ general manager Jerry Dipoto acquired infielder Ryon Healy from the Oakland Athletics.

Shohei Ohtani has officially been posted, allowing teams to formally negotiate with him and his agent for the 2018 MLB season. The Mariners, Giants, Cubs, and Dodgers are reportedly all willing to offer all of their international signing bonus money to get him, but Ohtani may be interested in a situation more than the money. With the Yankees and Red Sox officially out of the running, things are about to get very interesting.
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