Friday was a roller-coaster of emotions for baseball fans, especially those who follow the Toronto Blue Jays. 
Get to the chopper!
That was a phrase most people in Canada were screaming as they scrolled through X, formerly Twitter, earlier today amid speculation that free agent Shohei Ohtani was on a plane travelling from Southern California to Toronto. But no helicopter could locate the two-way superstar.
Why was that? Because Ohtani never left his home, despite numerous reports suggesting he did. Thus, many were reminded of a critical lesson: investigative journalism and internet sleuthing are entirely different.
<h2>False reporting on Shohei Ohtani</h2>
Let&#8217;s do a quick recap here. First, everything began with a report from MLB Network&#8217;s Jon Morosi, who supposedly heard Ohtani&#8217;s free-agent decision could come as early as Friday. That, of course, set off shockwaves throughout the sport.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Source: Shohei Ohtani’s decision is imminent, possibly as early as today. <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBNetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MLBNetwork</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MLB</a>
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) <a href="https://twitter.com/jonmorosi/status/1733119134043340853?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
With some flight tracking and restaurant stalking, things were off and running as the Ohtani rumours continued to swirl. Then came <a href="https://dodgersnation.com/shohei-ohtani-to-sign-with-toronto-blue-jays-over-los-angeles-dodgers-sources/2023/12/08/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an apparent signing report</a> from a blog called &#8220;Dodgers Nation,&#8221; which claimed baseball&#8217;s brightest star had chosen Toronto over Los Angeles.
Multiple reports, including from <a href="https://twitter.com/bnicholsonsmith/status/1733200651830661127" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sportsnet</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Alden_Gonzalez/status/1733202262548447262" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN</a>, quickly doused those flames by reporting the reigning American League MVP did not have a deal in place with the Blue Jays, nor was he close to reaching a new deal.
But then Morosi chimed in again, reporting that Ohtani was on board the private charter to Toronto. The roller-coaster was back to ascending.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sources: Shohei Ohtani is en route to Toronto today.
A representative of his agency, CAA, would not comment when asked about Ohtani’s travel plans.
At this hour, Ohtani does not have a signed agreement with any <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MLB</a> team. <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBNetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MLBNetwork</a>
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) <a href="https://twitter.com/jonmorosi/status/1733230365685236099?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
A rumour started circulating about <a href="https://twitter.com/AHBSeaborn/status/1733233948598132816" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a reported press conference</a> scheduled at the Rogers Centre, which is currently undergoing Phase 2 of a $300-million renovation plan and is in no shape to hold a massive media gathering, especially on short notice.
Then, after the roller-coaster went up and down a few more times, it came to a screeching halt after <a href="https://twitter.com/BNightengale/status/1733247885213655484" target="_blank" rel="noopener">USA Today&#8217;s Bob Nightengale</a> reported Ohtani was still at home in Southern California. And a few moments later, Sportsnet&#8217;s Ben Nicholson-Smith backed up that initial report.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Heard same as <a href="https://twitter.com/BNightengale?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BNightengale</a>, that Shohei Ohtani is not in Toronto or on his way to Toronto at this time &amp; is at home in SoCal.
Again, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlueJays?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlueJays</a> appear to be finalists and we will see where this leads.
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) <a href="https://twitter.com/bnicholsonsmith/status/1733250780918841416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
According to several reports, including Nicholson-Smith&#8217;s, the Blue Jays remain in the running for Ohtani&#8217;s services. But whether they&#8217;ll end up signing the two-time American League MVP is still a major question mark.
In the meantime, everyone must continue to wait on the edge of their seat.
<h2>Tyler O&#8217;Neill is headed to Boston</h2>
Thankfully, Ohtani wasn&#8217;t the only player to make headlines on Friday, with the Boston Red Sox making a move to replace outfielder Alex Verdugo &#8211; traded to the New York Yankees earlier this week &#8211; as they struck a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals for Canadian Tyler O&#8217;Neill.
In return, the Red Birds received a pair of right-handed pitchers, Nick Robertson &#8211; acquired by Boston in last season&#8217;s Kiké Hernández trade with the Dodgers &#8211; and minor-leaguer Victor Santos.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We have acquired RHP Nick Robertson and RHP Victor Santos from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for OF Tyler O&#8217;Neill. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/STLCards?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#STLCards</a> <a href="https://t.co/J5zfi1x14u">pic.twitter.com/J5zfi1x14u</a>
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cardinals/status/1733260998377627721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
O&#8217;Neill, who could&#8217;ve been a trade target for the Blue Jays, shores up a considerable need in left field and within the middle of the Red Sox&#8217;s batting order. But the 28-year-old only comes with one season of club control before becoming a free agent next off-season.
While he&#8217;s battled injuries recently and fell out of manager Oliver Marmol&#8217;s good graces last season, the Burnaby, B.C., native has proven formidable against left-handed pitching since 2021, hitting .260/.366/.511 with 14 home runs and a 140 wRC+ across 268 combined plate appearances.
<h2>Angels-Braves complete salary-dump trade</h2>
If one Friday news dump trade wasn&#8217;t enough, the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Angels provided a second, a deal featuring four players centred around infielder David Fletcher and catcher Max Stassi being sent to &#8220;The Big A.&#8221;
The two pieces going the other way were first baseman/outfielder Evan White &#8211; acquired from the Seattle Mariners earlier this week in the Jarred Kelenic trade &#8211; and left-hander Tyler Thomas, added to the organization as part of the minor league phase in Wednesday&#8217;s Rule 5 Draft.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
OFFICIAL: the Angels have acquired INF Evan White and LHP Tyler Thomas from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for INF David Fletcher and C Max Stassi. <a href="https://t.co/wsaoe035bw">pic.twitter.com/wsaoe035bw</a>
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) <a href="https://twitter.com/Angels/status/1733285719299559906?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2023</a></blockquote>
It was a minor move for the Braves, fortifying the big-league roster&#8217;s depth. But for the Angles, it creates valuable financial flexibility, considering Fletcher is owed $15.5 million over the next two seasons and Stassi $7 million in 2024 and has a club option for &#8217;25 that carries a $500,000 buyout.
That puts <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/roster-resource/payroll/angels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Los Angeles&#8217; 2024 Competitive Balance Tax payroll</a> at a projected $167.6 million, per FanGraphs. How will they spend those savings? Might it be for an Ohtani reunion?
Only time will tell. However, the franchise appears committed to competing for a playoff spot next season, with or without the Japanese icon.
<hr />
<h2 class="mb-5 text-2xl font-bold" style="text-align: center;"><a class="text-accent" href="https://gml-grp.com/C.ashx?btag=a_24038b_2065c_&amp;affid=7966&amp;siteid=24038&amp;adid=2065&amp;c=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer external nofollow" data-wpel-link="external">ARTICLE PRESENTED BY BETANO</a></h2>
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Friday was a roller-coaster of emotions for baseball fans, especially those who follow the Toronto Blue Jays. 

Get to the chopper!

That was a phrase most people in Canada were screaming as they scrolled through X, formerly Twitter, earlier today amid speculation that free agent Shohei Ohtani was on a plane travelling from Southern California to Toronto. But no helicopter could locate the two-way superstar.

Why was that? Because Ohtani never left his home, despite numerous reports suggesting he did. Thus, many were reminded of a critical lesson: investigative journalism and internet sleuthing are entirely different.
<h2>False reporting on Shohei Ohtani</h2>
Let's do a quick recap here. First, everything began with a report from MLB Network's Jon Morosi, who supposedly heard Ohtani's free-agent decision could come as early as Friday. That, of course, set off shockwaves throughout the sport.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Source: Shohei Ohtani’s decision is imminent, possibly as early as today. <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBNetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MLBNetwork</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MLB</a>
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) <a href="https://twitter.com/jonmorosi/status/1733119134043340853?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
With some flight tracking and restaurant stalking, things were off and running as the Ohtani rumours continued to swirl. Then came <a href="https://dodgersnation.com/shohei-ohtani-to-sign-with-toronto-blue-jays-over-los-angeles-dodgers-sources/2023/12/08/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an apparent signing report</a> from a blog called "Dodgers Nation," which claimed baseball's brightest star had chosen Toronto over Los Angeles.

Multiple reports, including from <a href="https://twitter.com/bnicholsonsmith/status/1733200651830661127" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sportsnet</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Alden_Gonzalez/status/1733202262548447262" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN</a>, quickly doused those flames by reporting the reigning American League MVP did not have a deal in place with the Blue Jays, nor was he close to reaching a new deal.

But then Morosi chimed in again, reporting that Ohtani was on board the private charter to Toronto. The roller-coaster was back to ascending.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sources: Shohei Ohtani is en route to Toronto today.
A representative of his agency, CAA, would not comment when asked about Ohtani’s travel plans.

At this hour, Ohtani does not have a signed agreement with any <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MLB</a> team. <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBNetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MLBNetwork</a>

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) <a href="https://twitter.com/jonmorosi/status/1733230365685236099?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
A rumour started circulating about <a href="https://twitter.com/AHBSeaborn/status/1733233948598132816" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a reported press conference</a> scheduled at the Rogers Centre, which is currently undergoing Phase 2 of a $300-million renovation plan and is in no shape to hold a massive media gathering, especially on short notice.

Then, after the roller-coaster went up and down a few more times, it came to a screeching halt after <a href="https://twitter.com/BNightengale/status/1733247885213655484" target="_blank" rel="noopener">USA Today's Bob Nightengale</a> reported Ohtani was still at home in Southern California. And a few moments later, Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith backed up that initial report.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Heard same as <a href="https://twitter.com/BNightengale?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BNightengale</a>, that Shohei Ohtani is not in Toronto or on his way to Toronto at this time &amp; is at home in SoCal.
Again, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlueJays?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlueJays</a> appear to be finalists and we will see where this leads.

— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) <a href="https://twitter.com/bnicholsonsmith/status/1733250780918841416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
According to several reports, including Nicholson-Smith's, the Blue Jays remain in the running for Ohtani's services. But whether they'll end up signing the two-time American League MVP is still a major question mark.

In the meantime, everyone must continue to wait on the edge of their seat.
<h2>Tyler O'Neill is headed to Boston</h2>
Thankfully, Ohtani wasn't the only player to make headlines on Friday, with the Boston Red Sox making a move to replace outfielder Alex Verdugo - traded to the New York Yankees earlier this week - as they struck a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals for Canadian Tyler O'Neill.

In return, the Red Birds received a pair of right-handed pitchers, Nick Robertson - acquired by Boston in last season's Kiké Hernández trade with the Dodgers - and minor-leaguer Victor Santos.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We have acquired RHP Nick Robertson and RHP Victor Santos from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for OF Tyler O'Neill. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/STLCards?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#STLCards</a> <a href="https://t.co/J5zfi1x14u">pic.twitter.com/J5zfi1x14u</a>
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cardinals/status/1733260998377627721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
O'Neill, who could've been a trade target for the Blue Jays, shores up a considerable need in left field and within the middle of the Red Sox's batting order. But the 28-year-old only comes with one season of club control before becoming a free agent next off-season.

While he's battled injuries recently and fell out of manager Oliver Marmol's good graces last season, the Burnaby, B.C., native has proven formidable against left-handed pitching since 2021, hitting .260/.366/.511 with 14 home runs and a 140 wRC+ across 268 combined plate appearances.
<h2>Angels-Braves complete salary-dump trade</h2>
If one Friday news dump trade wasn't enough, the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Angels provided a second, a deal featuring four players centred around infielder David Fletcher and catcher Max Stassi being sent to "The Big A."

The two pieces going the other way were first baseman/outfielder Evan White - acquired from the Seattle Mariners earlier this week in the Jarred Kelenic trade - and left-hander Tyler Thomas, added to the organization as part of the minor league phase in Wednesday's Rule 5 Draft.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
OFFICIAL: the Angels have acquired INF Evan White and LHP Tyler Thomas from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for INF David Fletcher and C Max Stassi. <a href="https://t.co/wsaoe035bw">pic.twitter.com/wsaoe035bw</a>
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) <a href="https://twitter.com/Angels/status/1733285719299559906?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2023</a></blockquote>
It was a minor move for the Braves, fortifying the big-league roster's depth. But for the Angles, it creates valuable financial flexibility, considering Fletcher is owed $15.5 million over the next two seasons and Stassi $7 million in 2024 and has a club option for '25 that carries a $500,000 buyout.

That puts <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/roster-resource/payroll/angels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Los Angeles' 2024 Competitive Balance Tax payroll</a> at a projected $167.6 million, per FanGraphs. How will they spend those savings? Might it be for an Ohtani reunion?

Only time will tell. However, the franchise appears committed to competing for a playoff spot next season, with or without the Japanese icon.

<hr />

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MLB News and Notes: Shohei Ohtani stays home, Red Sox acquire Tyler O’Neill, Angels dump salary in trade with Braves

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