The first major player to sign out of the free agency pool, including Shohei Ohtani, is Aaron Nola, who has re-signed with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Regarding any and all talks regarding his next landing spot, Ohtani and his agent have acted with extreme discretion. The two-way great most recently accepted his second MVP award, the first one he’s received as an Angels player.

Early rumors regarding the terms of Ohtani’s contract both point to a long-term contract of at least ten years. However, there is talk that after he is cleared to pitch after the 2024 season, he will be amenable to a short-term contract to increase his value.

The best teams that have been connected to Ohtani are the San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, and Los Angeles Dodgers. In addition to the Angels, MLB insider Mike Rodriguez claimed that the Chicago Cubs might make a “lucrative” contract offer to the young player.

The Cubs would gain a lot by matching Ohtani with outfielder Seiya Suzuki, whom they inked to a 5-year, $85 million contract before 2022, as they figure to lose left-handed, multi-positional phenom Cody Bellinger.

Making history with a unanimous MVP Award, Shohei Ohtani

Ohtani is the first recipient of the MVP Award in the history of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America to win the award more than once, having previously won the MVP Award in 2021 in a unanimous vote.

In 599 plate appearances (135 games) this past season, he slashed 304/.412/.654 with 26 doubles, 8 triples, 44 home runs, 95 RBI, and 20 stolen bases. Having hit 35 home runs and five triples or more, he was the only MLB player to do so.

In addition to Mike Trout’s 2021 victory, Ohtani’s 2023 MVP Award makes him the seventh MVP winner in Angels history, following Don Baylor (1979), Vladimir Guerrero (2004), and Mike Trout (2014, 2016, & 2019).

The San Francisco Giants’ last team to win five MVP awards was the Angels, who have done so in the past ten years.