SEATTLE -- With Shohei Ohtani casting his lot with the American League West-rival Angels on Friday, the Mariners are left to turn to Plan B now that general manager Jerry Dipoto's primary offseason target is off the board.
Dipoto made a huge push for Ohtani, acquiring an extra $2.5 million in international bonus pool money in the past few weeks to sweeten what the Mariners could offer financially. Seattle was one of seven teams invited to meet with Ohtani and his representatives in Los Angeles this week, and many considered the Mariners a possible favorite, given their strong track record with Japanese players and ownership.