Red Sox reportedly out Shohei Ohtani, among favorites for Yamamoto

Red Sox

The Red Sox were reportedly among the initial group of favorites to possibly sign Ohtani this offseason.

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Despite several recent rumors suggesting that free agent two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani could head to Boston, it appears as though the Red Sox are now looking elsewhere.

The Red Sox have pulled out of the sweepstakes to sign the two-way superstar, joining two other ballclubs who were once considered to be among the favorites, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported.

“The Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox and New York Mets, who were among the initial group of suitors, have turned their attention to other players, sources said,” Passan wrote in a story previewing the upcoming Winter Meetings. “Among those confirmed by sources to be still in the bidding: the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays and Angels.”

It was thought by some that Ohtani’s connections to the Boston area could make him want to play there for the next several years of his life. He is said to like the city, and he is reportedly close to Jim Davis, the CEO of New Balance, which is headquartered in Brighton.

But the Red Sox reportedly are bowing out of the Ohtani sweepstakes for reasons not currently known, though it’s not hard to imagine it has something to do with the team in drastic need of pitching having to invest significantly in order to acquire Ohtani, who won’t pitch until 2025.

Even though his time on the mound ended prematurely last year, Ohtani still had a season to remember. He led all of baseball in OPS (1.066), OPS+ (184) and slugging (.654) while leading the American League in OBP (.412), home runs (44) and total bases (325). Ohtani capped off his season by winning the second AL MVP Award of his career, and he did so by unanimous vote.

Although the Red Sox seem to be out on Ohtani, they may have a shot at signing the other top free agent this offseason: Yoshinobu Yamamoto. 

“The Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Red Sox and Cubs are among the favorites, with the Giants, Blue Jays and Phillies also expected to be in the mix,” Passan wrote.

It’s easy to see why the Red Sox would be interested in Yamamoto. The Orix Buffaloes’ ace finished his season with a 1.21 ERA and 0.88 WHIP with 145 strikeouts in 164 innings pitched this season. For his dominance, he earned this year’s Triple Crown, and Nippon Professional Baseball named him the recipient of both the Sawamura Award (NPB’s equivalent to the Cy Young Award) and the Pacific League MVP. The 25-year-old starter won all three of those awards for the third consecutive time this year.

The Red Sox aren’t the only club vying for Yamamoto’s services. In fact, his agent said that he has never seen a player with more teams interested in him. To begin narrowing down his options, Yamamoto will host Zoom calls (per Andy Martino of SNY) with teams during the Winter Meetings, and will likely make his decision afterward. He has until Jan. 4, which is 45 until after his posting date, to do so.

Waiting that long, of course, poses a risk. Most of the other available free-agent starters could be off the board by then, leaving the Red Sox with few options left in case Yamamoto signs elsewhere. In addition, a player this talented is going to cost a pretty penny, and the Red Sox need to add more than one starter if they want to have an elite rotation.

But according to Passan, the Red Sox could have a plan in case they have doubts. Passan wrote that Jordan Montgomery “could be a strike-first option for Boston if it’s feeling squishy about Yamamoto.”

The Red Sox have been linked to the World Series winner many times over the past month. They reportedly spoke with his agent during the GM Meetings, and MLB.com’s Ian Browne believes that the Red Sox prefer Montgomery and Yamamoto to the other free-agent starters. 

Montgomery is also getting to experience what living in Boston is like. H is wife is beginning a residency at a local hospital, and he has been living with her while working out at Boston College, per MassLive’s Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam.