The first round of Major League Baseball free agency has begun, but the considerable amount of conjecture around Shohei Ohtani’s potential signing location has caused an early delay.

It is widely believed that the Los Angeles Dodgers will make a significant effort to sign the two-way star, and they have been selected as the favourites to sign him. Ohtani is also supposed to be “obsessed” with Andrew Friedman, president of baseball operations, and ownership is reportedly determined to sign him.

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, Ohtani is the clear favourite to win the 2023 American League Most Valuable Player award. Every team that is able to sign him should be considering their options, and the Dodgers won’t be the only ones.

According to insiders, the Dodgers, Rangers, and Boston Red Sox are all anticipated to be in the Ohtani sweepstakes.

The Texas Rangers may decide to recruit another player despite having just won a World Series and signed mega-contracts with Marcus Semien and Corey Seager. Ohtani is undoubtedly an exception to any expenditure limit, particularly for Chris Young, the executive vice president and general manager.

Recently, the Boston Red Sox appointed Craig Breslow as their president of baseball operations. With owner John W. Henry at the helm, the team has a genuine chance to succeed because of their access to the Ohtani market.

During Team Japan’s participation in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Ohtani shared the field with Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida, which added a familiarity aspect on the East Coast.

It might eventually come down to Ohtani’s preferred playing location because both teams have large financial resources and might challenge the Dodgers in that regard.

Shohei Ohtani might be open to signing a quick contract.The vast majority of contract projections indicate that Ohtani will profit from at least a 10-year agreement with his future team. However, a recent article offered some insight into the prospect that he would be amenable to a brief contract with an opt-out provision that would enable him to optimise his worth.

He might not get as high of an offer as he could if he could pitch straight away due to his injury. His pitching skills set him apart from the others, particularly when it comes to his negotiating tier.

Given that Friedman offered Bryce Harper a contract with a record average yearly value before the player signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, a short-term pact would be ideal for him.