The Shohei Ohtani free agency sweepstakes is officially underway.
With the two-way Japanese star eligible to be posted for bidding from MLB teams—yet still under the rules of an under-25 international free agent—a unique courtship can begin around the sport.
While it will take some money (mostly in the form of a posting fee to Ohtani’s Japanese club), money won’t dictate where a player known as ‘Japan’s Babe Ruth’ takes his talents in 2018 and beyond.
That pits almost every team in a possible bidding war—with Ohtani’s comfort, fit and future usage (pitcher, hitter or both) as a major factors in negotiations.