MLB Rumors: Breaking Down Buzz on Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Nola and More
The arrival of the League Championship Series means free agency in Major League Baseball is right around the corner and this year, there are a bevy of top stars who potentially be looking for new organizations for which they will continue their careers.
None will be bigger, grab more headlines, or command more attention and money than Shohei Ohtani.
While one team has emerged as a favorite, might his old ball club still have a shot at retaining his services?
Find out with this collection of insider reports, which also include the latest on Philadelphia Phillies ace Aaron Nola and Twins starter Sonny Gray.
Phillies, Aaron Nola Were Never Close on a Deal This Past Offseason
Aaron Nola may have come through in two, high-pressure situations for the Philadelphia Phillies in this postseason already, but he and the organization were never close on a contract extension last winter, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
"Nola was seeking an eight-year contract in excess of $200 million, while the Phillies were hoping to sign him to a four- or five-year deal," he wrote.
Even with Nola showing up and showing out in these playoffs, it may be difficult for the sides to come to an agreement.
The defending National League champions' ace was just 12-9 with an ERA of 4.46 in 2023, hardly what the team or its fans have come to expect from him on the mound. There were regular season games in which Nola was more of a hindrance than a help, calling into question how much time he and the Phils realistically had together.
A strong postseason, though, in which he has started two games with a 1.42 ERA and has 12 strikeouts, has renewed faith among some that the righty is who they thought he was. He has been key to Philadelphia's playoff run and pursuit of the World Series trophy that eluded them a season ago.
If they win the whole thing in 2023, it will likely be because Nola showed up, blew past the quality bats of either Texas or Houston and put his team in a position to win.
Whether the two sides can work something out following that, perhaps by finding a middle ground on a six-year deal or something along those lines, may very well determine whether he continues his career with the only team he has ever known or goes elsewhere to continue it..
Optimism in Anaheim for Ohtani?
Nightengale also reported, in somewhat of a surprise, that the Dodgers may still be the favorites to land Shohei Ohtani this offseason but that we should not count out the Angels yet.
"While the Dodgers still are the favorite to sign free agent Shohei Ohtani, the Angels are cautiously optimistic that Ohtani will stay with them," he wrote.
"Cautiously optimistic" is the exact opposite of what the organization likely felt when Ohtani cleared out his locker prior to undergoing surgery in September. At that point, with the Angels in the midst of a fire sale and concluding another miserable season, it looked like any hope that they could convince the two-way phenomenon to stay in town had been extinguished.
The latest from Nightengale suggests there is a glimmer of hope that he may stick with what is familiar to him, even if the Dodgers are the favorites to land his services.
Expect Los Angeles to try hard to wrest Ohtani away from the Angels, particularly after their disappointing finish to the 2023 season, in which they won more than 100 games but were sent packing in the divisional round by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
They have the money to spend and would love to add Ohtani's bat to go along with Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts, not to mention his arm once he is cleared to pitch in 2025.
No matter how optimistic the Angels may be, the cabinet is bare and the likelihood that they can convince the world's greatest player that they are committed to winning when they showed numerous times in 2023 that they are not, is extremely low.
Even when they did make moves at the trade deadline, things did not pan out.
It is time for Ohtani to get a fresh coat of paint in the form of a new uniform. If it is Dodgers blue, so be it.
NL Central Team Making Big Push for Sonny Gray
The extraordinarily busy Nightengale also reported that the St. Louis Cardinals are expected to make a big push for Twins ace Sonny Gray.
"The St. Louis Cardinals will strongly pursue Minnesota Twins free agent Sonny Gray this winter."
With good reason, too.
The Cardinals were 24th in the league in team ERA at 4.79. They gave up 179 home runs and struck out the second-fewest batters in baseball at 1215. They were, for lack of a better word, abysmal on the mound and will be looking for a fix this postseason.
Gray was great in 2023, compiling his lowest ERA since 2015 (2.79) while striking out the second-most pitchers of his career. He gave up his second-fewest home runs and led the league in FIP (fielding independent pitching).
It is no wonder that a team like the Cardinals, who have the offensive pieces in place to be a contender in the National League, would immediately target Gray as a player they would hope can help pull them out of the funk they found themselves in during an uncharacteristically awful season.
Gray will have other suitors, most likely starting with the team he currently plays for in Minnesota.
If they cannot get the deal done, a move south to a baseball-rich city like St. Louis feels like an appropriate one for a veteran pitcher playing some of the best ball of his career in his 11th season.