With all the Shohei Ohtani talk swirling, it can be difficult to separate planted rumors from actual reports when it comes to which teams are still in and which have fallen out. While the safest option is to simply ignore all of them, there are ways to discern fact from fiction with reasonable confidence. The main rule is that if the rumor says the Cubs are favorites, it’s true.
But seriously, the first step is to consider the source. It’s possible for a totally unknown rando to break news, even the hugest of the huge like an Ohtani deal, but it’s not just about follower count or notoriety.