They thought they had him.
The 2023 free agency period centered around Shohei Ohtani. Perhaps the most gifted player in the history of the sport was a free agent, and that gave a host of franchises the opportunity to showcase why the iconic athlete should sign with them.
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Various reports seemed to indicate that Ohtani narrowed his focus to the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays. Ohtani could stay on the West Coast and feature for a juggernaut — or he could head east and represent the flagship team of an entire country.