Theorizing the Blue Jays’ extensive pitch to free agent Shohei Ohtani
No other player available in free agency can alter a franchise more than two-way star Shohei Ohtani this winter. But how can a team like the Toronto Blue Jays make him an offer he can’t refuse?
Well perhaps director Martin Scorsese was onto something.
Remember Leonardo DiCaprio’s character from “The Wolf of Wall Street”? Imagine him as Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins. Instead of brokering million-dollar stock market deals, though, he’s attempting to sign the biggest name on the market: Ohtani.
Like in the Hollywood movie, Atkins must use outside-the-box thinking to defy the odds to execute this franchise-altering move. But his most daunting hurdle is finding a way to separate himself from the rest of the crowd.
By all accounts, the Los Angeles Dodgers are widely considered the favourites to land one of the biggest free agents the sport has ever seen. After them, the Chicago Cubs are also seen as heavily involved, with the San Francisco Giants and Angels waiting to strike.
Most experts have the Blue Jays as a dark horse for Ohtani, slotting in behind the Dodgers, Cubs and, perhaps, even the Giants. The difference-maker, however, in all this might be a face-to-face meeting with the two-time American League MVP.
If Toronto’s front office receives a sit-down, they’ll have to do everything imaginable to sell Ohtani on signing north of the border. With that in mind, let’s explore five angles they could use while pitching baseball’s most sought-after superstar.
1. Receive record-breaking contract
This one is a given, as any amount Ohtani signs for will likely obliterate the current record held by his former teammate Mike Trout, whose 12-year, $426.5-million contract stands as the richest in the sport.
Any club legitimately interested in the 29-year-old phenom – like the Dodgers, Cubs and Blue Jays – already knows this. Thus, all three will be willing to offer him whatever lucrative amount he desires, seemingly making this an even race in that department.
However, a series of opt-out clauses could be one avenue that helps Toronto stand out in contract negotiations with Ohtani’s camp, especially given how the right-handed hurler will be strictly a DH in 2024 after undergoing elbow surgery last September.
The first would provide the three-time All-Star with an opportunity to opt out next offseason, allowing him to return to the open market to reset his value as a two-way star. Another could grant him the ability to forgo the remainder of his contract if the franchise misses the postseason any year during his tenure.
While incredibly risky from a team perspective, this angle might be enticing enough for Ohtani to consider relocating Northwards, given that he’s had to endure six playoff-less Octobers with the Angels.
For a player of this magnitude, it also may be worth inserting a clause in his contract that affords him input involving Toronto’s coaching staff – both in the pitching and hitting departments.
2. Join a franchise committed to winning
From the little reported about Ohtani’s intentions, there’s been one common theme surrounding the conversation regarding his priorities: putting himself in the best position to capture a World Series.
It’s not that money isn’t important to him, it’s just that component appears secondary to his desire to win. The Dodgers, of course, might be his best shot to maximize both this winter. But to the Blue Jays’ credit, they’ve repeatedly proven their commitment to constructing a winning product.
That hasn’t translated into the postseason success management hoped it would, as the franchise has lost seven straight playoff contests dating back to its 2016 ALCS defeat. But they’ve worked relentlessly to improve this roster over the last several seasons.
Take last winter, for example. The Blue Jays signed Chris Bassitt, Kevin Kiermaier, Brandon Belt and Chad Green in free agency while acquiring Daulton Varsho and Erik Swanson in separate high profile deals. As a result, they became a luxury-tax team for the first time in their 46 years of existence.
The year before, they landed Kevin Gausman and Yusei Kikuchi as free agents, extended José Berríos via a seven-year contract and acquired Matt Chapman in a trade. And three years ago, George Springer – one of the top free agents at the time – signed with Canada’s lone MLB franchise.
Not only is Toronto committed to winning, but the organization is also supported by an ownership group (Rogers Communications) willing to help them reach their ultimate goal.
3. Opportunity to play alongside Bichette, Guerrero Jr.
Beyond everything else, there might not be a more significant angle the Blue Jays brass can pitch to Ohtani’s camp than the guarantee of playing alongside Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for at least the next two seasons.
That talented duo’s potential, as opposed to their results over the past two seasons, makes them an appealing facet. Or, at least, that’s what the front office hopes to convince baseball’s most exciting athlete of as part of his interview process.
Amidst Trout’s recent injury woes, Ohtani was relied upon to carry the Angels throughout the second half of his tenure with the franchise, both on the mound and in the batter’s box. And he did so remarkably well. But those problems wouldn’t exist anywhere near as much in Toronto.
Offensively, the two-time Silver Slugger would be surrounded by key hitters like Bichette, Guerrero, George Springer, Alejandro Kirk and Danny Jansen, as well as likely a few other external additions. As a starting pitcher, he’d return to the rubber for a staff featuring Gausman, Berríos, Bassitt and Alek Manoah.
One question Ohtani’s camp may present to Toronto’s front office is how his historic contract would impact the organization’s ability to extend Bichette and Guerrero beyond 2025 – when they’ll each become free agents.
If that happens, management must have a sufficient answer or viable solution to replace one or both franchise icons two offseasons from now.
4. Immersed in one of the world’s most diverse cities
Now that we’re through the nitty-gritty, let’s explore the advantages Ohtani would possess by spending six months of the year in Toronto – named the Most Diverse City of 2023, per the Southwest Journal.
Once the warm summer air arrives, the Rogers Centre can be one of the most beautiful places to call home. With the second – and final – phase of its $300-million renovations scheduled to finish next spring, the team’s ballpark will be among the top state-of-the-art facilities in the sport.
Then there’s the city itself. Thanks to its 200-plus ethnic groups and over 140 languages, there’s a certain uniqueness that’s tough to find anywhere else. Plus, the Japanese superstar would likely have more food options available than he’d know what to do with.
If the Blue Jays are home in early August, he could experience his first Caribana festival, one of the biggest week-long celebrations in the world.
Finally, there’s nothing quite like playing for all of Canada – a luxury most players don’t fully understand until they’re a part of it.
5. Supported by an entire nation
Ohtani is already the face of baseball in Japan, and he’s established himself as one of the most prominent stars Stateside, if not the biggest. So why not add another country to his portfolio with the Blue Jays?
The appetite for baseball in Canada is enormous. Consider this: After the franchise snapped its 21-year playoff drought in 2015, it ranked top-five in total attendance across the majors over the next two seasons, eclipsing three million per year. They crossed that mark again last season for the first time since 2017.
But imagine how much ticket and merchandise sales would balloon if a player of Ohtani’s calibre landed in Canada. In all likelihood, the supply wouldn’t have a chance to keep up with the overwhelming demand.
Joining the heart of downtown Los Angeles would bring Ohtani countless marketing and endorsement opportunities, and rightly so. But so, too, would signing with the Blue Jays, as he’d emerge as baseball’s newest face north of the border.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @ThomasHall85
Photo: Mogami Kariya. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.