Why are the Blue Jays right for Shohei Ohtani?

The Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes remains the hottest story of the Hot Stove season, and the situation may come to a dramatic end during the Winter Meetings, which begin Monday in Nashville.

While clubs like the Dodgers, Giants and Cubs have been constantly discussed as contenders for Ohtani, along with the Angels, another under-the-radar suitor is starting to gain some traction in the public conversation. That would be the Blue Jays.

A few different reports in recent days have identified them as being in the mix for the two-way star. One from ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Friday (Subscription required) Toronto is ranked as one of the teams known to still be participating in the bidding.

So why would the Blue Jays make sense for Ohtani? Here are five reasons.

1. They need to take advantage of this competitive window

Not long ago, it seemed like the sky was the limit for this era of Blue Jays baseball. The organization developed a wave of young talent and was aggressive about supplementing them through both free agency and trades in an attempt to bring Toronto (and Canada in general) its first World Series title since back-to-back championships in 1992-93.

But even though the team has had overall success over the past four seasons, it’s hard not to feel frustrated and dissatisfied with the final results. The Blue Jays have never won more than 92 games in a season during that span (despite the shortened 2020 season), and have never captured the AL East title, finishing third just once. While the expanded playoff fields have led to three trips through October, none have resulted in even a single postseason game win. Toronto was knocked out of the Wild Card round in 2020, ’22 and ’23.

All of this means that this team desperately needs to take the next step — while they still can. Toronto is expected to be competitive in 2024 with or without Ohtani, but the clock may be ticking. Franchise cornerstones Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette have two seasons left before hitting free agency, and so far, there’s no sign of either of them agreeing to an extension. Recent free agent acquisitions Chris Bassett (age 35 in 2024), George Springer (age 34) and Kevin Guzman (age 33 in 2024) are all getting older, and the Jays’ farm system was ranked just 25th by MLB Pipeline as of August.

In other words, now is the time for Toronto to strike, even in the tough Middle East. Go get Ohtani, get this ring, and rewrite the story of the Blue Jays in the 2020s.

2. The left-handed big bat is a perfect fit here

In 2023, only two teams have had fewer plate appearances and only three have had fewer home runs from left-handed hitters than the Blue Jays, and two of their top three left-handers (Brandon Belt and Kevin Kiermaier) are now free agents. . The only left-hander (or switch hitters) on the team Current expected lineup They are Cavan Biggio, Daulton Varsho, and Nathan Lux, a 29-year-old rookie.

So who better to add to the lineup than elite left-handed batsmen who just led the AL in homers and ranked fourth in the major leagues in that category since 2021? While one can certainly overstate the importance of right/left lineup balance, placing Ohtani in the middle of Springer, Bichette, and Guerrero would help prevent opposing managers from attacking Ohtani with left-handed relievers. Regardless of the use of one hand, that foursome will force a group of the best teams as is the case in MLB.

3. Their DH spot is wide open

The only real downside to a team adding Ohtani to the lineup is that he is entrenched at DH. (That’s not to say Ohtani isn’t athletic enough to handle the position, but he won’t do so while rehabbing his elbow injury in 2024.)

Having a full-time DH could create problems for a team with another player in need of that spot, but that’s not necessarily a big problem for the Blue Jays compared to other clubs. Toronto’s starting DH in 2023 was Belt, and he’s now a free agent. In fact, general manager Ross Atkins He said during GM meetings last month That the team is “open” to adding a DH-first player.

The only caveat is that Ohtani’s presence would prevent the Blue Jays from using the DH spot to rest Guerrero, Springer or any other regular starter who is getting hit or needs a day of rest. But that shouldn’t be a barrier to pursuing one of the best players in the sport.

4. His return to the mound can wait

Ohtani, of course, won’t pitch in 2024. And any MLB team would miss his presence in their rotation. With that being said, the Blue Jays are better prepared than most moving forward without Ohtani on the mound next season.

Toronto’s rotation has been incredibly stable in 2023, with all top four players handling the ball at least 31 times. All four are back in ’24. Only six pitchers have started 158 of the team’s 162 games, and of that group only Hyun-Jin Ryu (11 starts), a free agent, is scheduled to return.

When Toronto will need Ohtani’s shooting prowess most in 2025, when Yusei Kikuchi becomes a free agent and Bassett will turn 36 and enter his career year. So this time frame aligns well with Ohtani’s recovery.

5. A global star in a global city

Sounds about right, doesn’t it? Ohtani is a superstar with international appeal, and he’ll be headed to the only major league team based outside the United States. Not only do the Blue Jays play in a large, diverse city, but they also represent an entire country since the Expos then left for Washington. 2004 season.

In addition to everything he offers on the pitch, Ohtani will also provide tremendous marketing opportunities for any club. But because of their unique situation, it may be more valuable to a team like the Blue Jays, which is owned by Rogers Communications, which also broadcasts games on its own television network (Sportsnet).

Meanwhile, playing in Toronto would likely provide Ohtani with a less intense environment than, say, New York, Los Angeles or even Chicago. While we can only speculate here, this might be desirable for a player like Ohtani, who despite his massive stardom, was very private off the field.

Ultimately, it’s hard to know Toronto’s chances of actually landing Ohtani. But this pairing makes a lot of sense.