I want to believe that if they commit to Ohtani their past behavior is irrelevant, sort of. I do think Ohtani and the Cubs are going to get protection with out-clauses.
It is very out of character for them to actually go through with signing him. They bid for him, but how serious a bid it was is not known. It's out of character for them based on their stated positions regarding building a team. I'm still very skeptical.
If they make the commitment and sign him, I will keep my mouth shut about their commitment to winning.