With his impending free agency this winter, Shohei Ohtani is expected to shatter records, and the Toronto Blue Jays are reportedly considering entering the competition.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that Toronto is one of the few teams anticipating a “strong push” for the Japanese superstar. According to Nightengale, the Los Angeles Dodgers are the “overwhelming favourites” to sign Ohtani. However, he does not rule out Ohtani returning to the Los Angeles Angels.

The other teams that Nightengale connected to Ohtani were the Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres, and Texas Rangers.

Ohtani has been a member of the Angels for his whole six-year Major League Baseball career, living up to the enormous hype he received as a star in Japan. After winning American League Rookie of the Year in 2018, the 29-year-old was selected to three All-Star teams. It’s highly likely that he will earn AL MVP in 2023 after taking home the trophy in 2021.

The versatile player has excelled both in the field and on the mound, amassing a career slash line of.274/.366/.556 while recording a 3.01 ERA and 11.4 strikeouts per nine innings pitched.

Ohtani’s next deal, which is expected to be worth more than $400 million, may have been even bigger had he not had to have elbow surgery in September, which will keep him from pitching for the whole 2024 season. In 2025, he thinks he’ll be able to make it back to the mound. This was Ohtani’s second major surgery after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2018.

Ohtani, a potent left-handed hitter, is a tremendous asset, even if he is sidelined for a year. According to Nightengale, he also brings in over $20 million from license sales, advertising, and merchandise.

Entering this summer, the Blue Jays will be short-staffed due to the free agency of Matt Chapman, Hyun Jin Ryu, Brandon Belt, Kevin Kiermaier, Jordan Hicks, and Whit Merrifield. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is among the Blue Jays who will receive pay raises through arbitration.

Toronto’s payroll ranked eighth in Major League Baseball in 2023, and team president Mark Shapiro anticipates returning to the stadium in 2024. However, the chance to sign a player such as Ohtani is rare, so ownership may be willing to write whatever check is required if there is a realistic chance to bring him north of the border.