Insider names two favorites to sign Angels' Shohei Ohtani

At least one knowledgeable individual believes the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets remain the favorites to sign Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani in free agency after this season. 

"The Dodgers have been the favorite for a long time, or at least a team we thought would definitely be in the mix," MLB insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic said during Tuesday's edition of the "Foul Territory" podcast, per SNY. "I cannot rule out the Mets. I cannot see [Mets owner] Steve Cohen simply passing on Shohei Ohtani."

Analysts and experts have repeatedly linked Ohtani with the Dodgers and Mets since it became clear the 29-year-old would test free agency this fall. Rosenthal noted in August that Mets general manager Billy Eppler originally signed Ohtani for the Angels and now has the backing of Cohen, a big-spending owner who may refuse to lose a bidding war for the generational talent. 

However, The Athletic's Jim Bowden said earlier this month that "the potential to win championships will be given more weight than geography" as it pertains to Ohtani's decision. While the Dodgers are a perennial postseason team and last won the World Series in 2020, the Mets haven't claimed a title since 1986 and found themselves out of the playoff hunt well before September. 

Rosenthal thinks the San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners are "at least possibilities" regarding potential landing spots for Ohtani. Rosenthal added he doesn't "see" the New York Yankees making a big push to win Ohtani's services. 

"I still think it comes down to LA versus New York — Dodgers versus the Mets," Rosenthal explained. 

The Associated Press (h/t ESPN) mentioned on Sept. 19 that Ohtani expects to hit as soon as Opening Day next season and ultimately return to pitching in 2025 after he underwent surgery to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow that was discovered in August. It's unknown how much money that setback will cost Ohtani considering it was thought last winter he could've become baseball’s first $600M man had he stayed healthy through Oct. 1.