Dave Roberts – Dodgers had 2-3 hour meeting with Shohei Ohtani

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged Tuesday that his team met with two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani at Dodger Stadium “a few days ago,” becoming the first person to even disclose just the most basic information about a highly touted player. a free agency that took place in secret.

“Obviously,” Roberts said, “Shohei is our top priority.”

The Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants and Toronto Blue Jays are reportedly finalists for Ohtani, who could choose his destination within the week. Blue Jays manager John Schneider, speaking following reports that his team met with Ohtani on Monday at its spring training facility in Dunedin, Fla., would not comment on discussions with Ohtani . Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said he had not personally met Ohtani, but dismissed any connection to the team's general interest in him.

“I like to be honest,” Roberts said during his press session from the winter meeting site. “Yes, we met Shohei, we talked. And I think it went well. I think it went well. But at the end of the day, he's his own man. And he's going to do what that it is best for himself, where he feels.” the most comfortable.”

The Dodgers have long been considered Ohtani's favorite, although the Blue Jays have emerged as a legitimate threat.

The Dodgers are juggling the pursuit of Ohtani with the desire to add two to three pitchers to their rotation, a need that has placed them among the most aggressive suitors for fellow Japanese Yoshinobu Yamamoto. It is not excluded to sign both.

Ohtani, who has suffered two torn ulnar collateral ligaments in five years, underwent what was vaguely described as a hybrid version of Tommy John surgery in September and he is not expected to pitch again until 2025. He will simply serve of a designated hitter this coming season, but Roberts expressed confidence that Ohtani, 29, would bounce back from surgery to play again as a two-way player.

The Dodgers were among the finalists for Ohtani when he arrived from Japan in 2017, but were hurt at least in part by the fact that the DH was not yet available in the National League.

“In 2017, I think it was more of an overview; more of a sale of things he didn't really know: the country, the city, the organization, the potential role,” said Roberts. “And I think this situation, I'm not trying to speak for her, but she's a little more restricted to her desires, as far as teams go, and I don't think the sale had to be that big. I think it was more about just trying to feel what daily life would be like.

Roberts said this year's meeting lasted about two to three hours and did not involve any Dodgers players. He said he felt “good about it”, but implied he didn't really get a feel for it from Ohtani himself.

“He has a really good poker face,” Roberts said. “I think he was smiling inside. But I was just happy to spend time with him. We all were.”

The Dodgers, NL West champions 10 of the last 11 years, would satisfy Ohtani's desire to win but also stay in Southern California. They also have the resources to maximize his abilities as a two-way player. But those familiar with Ohtani's thinking pointed to the comfort and familiarity of the Angels as a real draw, while others said he had long been intrigued by Toronto. The Giants and Cubs, for their part, have the financial capacity to award a contract that is now expected to exceed $500 million.

The Dodgers' meeting with Ohtani, Roberts said, was primarily about allowing the two teams to become more familiar with each other.

“He had questions for us, just trying to understand the landscape better,” Roberts said. “Being in this league for six years, he has a pretty good feel for the Dodgers, for what we are, for the city itself. And so for me and on behalf of our guys, it was just a pleasure to drop by time with him.”

Ohtani's free agency was handled almost exclusively by Nez Balelo, his agent at CAA, Ippei Mizuhara, his interpreter, and Ohtani himself, with few, if any, others closely involved. Interested suitors were reportedly told that disclosing information about the meetings could hurt their chances of landing Ohtani, but Roberts didn't seem worried about that.

“I don’t feel like lying is something I do,” Roberts said. “I was asked a question, and to be frank about the situation, we kept it quiet. But I think it's going to come out at some point that we meet. It obviously already has. I Don't think I or anyone in our organization would want to lie about that.”