Reports about Shohei Ohtani arriving in Toronto Friday were false
7 months ago
Who knows what to believe anymore.
That’s right, “Planegate 2023”, the flight that Twitter collectively tracked is in fact, was real… for about an hour. Here’s the original Jon Morosi Tweet that’s still up for some reason.
The big question is, what the heck does this mean? It was reported early today by J.P. Hoornstra of Dodgers Nation that Ohtani was signing with the Toronto Blue Jays.
However, it was quickly dispelled by Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith that Ohtani hasn’t made a decision with no timetable for the decision. With that being said, other beat writers like MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson and The Athletic’s Kaitlyn McGrath have yet to comment. You also have to factor in that Rogers owns Sportsnet, who employs Nicholson-Smith.
To douse the fire with even more kerosene, the Blair and Barker show, which wasn’t supposed to be on air on Friday, was scheduled Friday afternoon, shortly after Ohtani’s plane was set to land.
So yeah, where there’s smoke, there’s fire. It’s not a matter of “if” Ohtani has a record-breaking contract, but “when”. Last season with the Los Angeles Angels, the 29-year-old slashed .304/.412/.654 with 44 home runs, along with a 15.2 BB% and a 23.9 K% for a 180 wRC+ and a 6.6 fWAR. But to add to that, he also had a 3.14 ERA and a 4 FIP in 132 innings pitched, winning the American League Most Valuable Player.
Ohtani’s value extends far beyond the field, as the Jays can easily make their money back through marketing, merchandise sales, and other forms of business. But on the field, woof, Ohtani is a game changer.
Let’s just hope he signs as soon as possible!
Update:
Well, this is something. According to Bob Nightengale, Ohtani is still in California and was not on that plane.
This was confirmed by Ben Nicholson-Smith, Jon Heyman, and Jim Bowden as well, so yeah. Ohtani was not on that plane, and who knows when he’ll sign.
As always, you can follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Threads @Brennan_L_D. If Shohei Ohtani signs with the Jays, I will actually run into a wall
ARTICLE PRESENTED BY BETANO
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