The baseball world is holding its breath, waiting for Shohei Ohtani to make a decision. The offseason lull can end with his deal. Though he has urged every team to maintain silence and secrecy in their dealing, the LA Dodgers’ manager recently surprised everyone. He not only revealed that the team met Shotime but also had positive feelings about said meeting. Could this revelation come back to haunt the Boys in Blue?

While the LA team has been a favorite since day one, the Toronto Blue Jays have emerged as late competition. The strategies of both of these teams have been in stark contrast to each other. While the Dodgers have announced that they met Ohtani, the Blue Jays are playing coy about their connection. Could this work in their favor?

Are the Blue Jays ahead of the Dodgers in the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes?

When Ohtani’s free agency began, most named the Dodgers as the top favorite to get him. It was for good reason as the team is near his home and is a constant presence in the playoffs. What seemed like an obvious choice has remained a belief until now. Yet the recent comments of manager Dave Roberts have fans worried.

Though Roberts was quick to say that he hadn’t revealed the details of the meeting, he did divulge that he met with the Japanese sensation at Dodger Stadium recently. As the Blue Jays’ John Schneider declined to comment on their meeting with Ohtani, it further puts the Blue Crew in a negative light. The Jays have strictly kept mum about Ohtani.

Maybe this secrecy can benefit the Blue Birds but Robert’s confidence raised eyebrows. For instance, his constant name-dropping of Ohtani and comments like the team is “all-in.” On the other hand, what if the worries are baseless and the Dodgers are still among the frontrunners?

Read more: Blue Jays GM Reveals Tactics to Lure Shohei Ohtani, as Toronto-Based Team Aims for Top Free Agents

Do either of these team’s tactics affect the rest in the close race?

The other teams’ position remains in doubt

Recently reports suggest that the Chicago Cubs are out of the Ohtani sweepstakes. The NY Post’s Jon Heyman was quick to say that “Cubs have not been informed they are out on Ohtani”. Still, he didn’t say the reports were untrue.

In another X post, he revealed that among the five teams, the Dodgers and Blue Jays are quite far ahead of their competition. Could this mean that the sweepstakes are in their closing stage? This could be good news for the market which has remained stalled due to Ohtani’s free agency.

It’s time to grab some popcorn because the ultimate climax seems near.

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