NEW YORK -- For years, the Mets have shied away from international bidding wars, wary of spending too much of their restrictive budget on unknown quantities. But Shohei Ohtani presents a different situation. The Mets are at least intrigued by the possibility of acquiring the Japanese superstar this winter, despite acknowledging the unlikelihood that they actually will be able to.
"I don't think there's a downside in looking into it," general manager Sandy Alderson said Wednesday at the General Managers Meetings in Orlando, Fla. "I think the only downside is creating a false set of expectations on the part of fans that have to be tempered.