Heyman doesn't think Cubs owners would pay Shohei Ohtani

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Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani is the best player in baseball. He is a marketing team's dream.

Over the weekend, USA Today's Bob Nightengale labeled the Chicago Cubs a sleeper team to land Ohtani.

And while Cubs fans were starting to dream big, Jon Heyman came out and pumped the brakes on Ohtani to Cubs talk.

"I know that's a nice thing to say, they're the sleeper team," Heyman said on the Mully & Haugh show on 670 The Score.

It comes down to a few reasons. First of which is Ohtani's affinity for the West Coast. Now that Ohtani has been playing in the United States for a while, would be be willing to move further east?

"He did tell the Yankees he can't see himself in New York at that time. Obviously, it's five plus years ago. Things could change," Heyman said. "I would say that I would read into that that he he seems to like the West Coast, likes the idea of the West Coast."

Second is his desire to win, and the Cubs inability to consistently do so since reaching the NLCS in 2017, the season after winning the World Series in 2016. And lastly, Cubs ownership not willing to pay the kind of money other teams will.

"I think he's about winning. I don't think he's about money. I would be surprised if the Cubs are the high bidder anyway," Heyman said. "I think we all kind of thought (Dansby) Swanson is a great player, but he was going to be less money that the other three shortstops. That was one of the reasons we all felt that the Cubs were a better match.

"They're not going to compete with the Padres, the Mets, in terms of the big contracts. I think he's going to get $500 million-plus. So I don't see Cubs ownership going (there). I'm not ripping them, I don't see a lot of ownership going to $500 million-plus even for a player that's an all-time great, who's a marketing gem and all that. I'd be surprised."

Ouch.

It might mean there is more pressure on the Cubs to win this season, despite expectations they won't contend in the division.

"I don't think he's about the money anyway. I think he's about the winning. And the Cubs have been up and down," Heyman said. "I don't know if he buys into that traditional, lovable loser thing he wants to win."

And if you're curious who Heyman thinks are the favorites, it's who you'd guess.

"I'm going to be surprised if he's not a Dodger or a Padre," Heyman said. "Those are the teams that spend They're on the West Coast. They look like they're about to win for a long time.

"Anybody can be called a sleeper team. But I'll be shocked."

The Cubs were one of the teams that courted Ohtani when he came to the United States for the 2018 season, and since then signed Seiya Suzuki, a Japanese player and teammate for Japan in the World Baseball Classic.

For what it's worth, Nightengale noted the Los Angeles Dodgers saving money to make a run at Ohtani. He also mentions the San Diego Padres' recent spending sprees. So there is a consensus those are the favorites.

He also throws the San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners in the mix.

And if Ohtani is willing to venture east, does it open up more deep-pocket competitors for the Cubs like the New York Yankees, New York Mets and Philadelphia Philles. All three teams were noted by Nightengale in his column.

Ohtani has had a decorated career with the Angels, winning Rookie of the Year honors in 2018 and capturing the MVP award in 2021. He also finished fourth in Cy Young voting in the 2022 season. 

In 574 career MLB games, Ohtani has 129 home runs and 348 RBI’s. He hit 46 home runs and drove in 100 RBI’s while stealing 26 bases during the 2021 season, and followed that up with 34 home runs and 95 RBI’s last year. 

He was able to do this while pitching 166 innings during the 2022 season, with a 15-9 record and a sparkling 2.33 ERA in 28 starts. He struck out 219 batters while walking just 44 in 166 innings of work, compiling a 1.012 WHIP. 

Needless to say, Ohtani could become arguably the most-coveted free agent in baseball history should he hit the open market later this year, with his one-year, $30 million contract reaching its conclusion. 

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