Jason Ross

I've been doing some thinking and some sleuthing, and I think I've come to logical conclusion (feel free to tell me I'm just tinfoil-hat-crazy, too). Okay, so reports on Saturday were that Ohtani was in San Francisco to meet with the Giants. Monday, it appears as though Ohtani was in Florida with the Jays. But then you have Sunday...kind of a big blank day, no? Perhaps Ohtani took in some NFL football, a beer, and hanging out with friends, but I have a feeling that didn't happen. As well, there was the report that teams were coming to LA to meet with Ohtani for final meetings, but considering he went to SF and Toronto after (if reports are correct) it seems weird that would be the case, So maybe...what if it wasn't all teams on Saturday making their final pitch/meetings/tours of facilities but the two LA teams (one of which was a team he didn't need to tour, because, he's been an Angel for half a decade). Geographically, if Ohtani were making his tour around the other clubs, it would make sense that he would go from LA to SF, and this feels like it could be accomplished in a single day, like...Saturday. But again...Sunday....It'd make a lot of sense if Ohtani did something Sunday. And, again, thinking logically, planning a trip, geographically around the nation, well Chicago just so happens to be between San Francisco and Florida, and would have made quite the logical stopping place for a visit, wouldn't it have? And conspicuously, Jed Hoyer wasn't in Nashville Sunday. Neither was Craig Counsell. It really wouldn't make a ton of sense if they're both still in LA (Sunday and Monday) if they were meeting with him on Saturday. We know he's not in LA any more; he was in Florida Monday. What I'm trying to get at is this: I think Shohei Ohtani was in Chicago Sunday. And I think the Cubs got him in and out without any leaks. Considering the Cubs were capable of doing this with Seiya Suzuki and Craig Counsell, it would track based on history. I could be way off, and fair, I'm going off logic/guessing. Both his trips to Toronto and San Francisco ended up getting reported/leaked in some way or fashion. If he got in and out of Chicago with zero leaks, I wonder how this helps on the final choice. If Ohtani is truly worrisome of leaks and quietness, which, if he' visiting teams in their cities during the Winter Meetings, you could argue is another reason to believe that, then the Cubs making this happen could help. Edit: I'd also like to point out, the Cubs may have met in Arizona (someone else suggested this to me elsewhere, credit to him). Closer to the West Coast, easier to keep quiet. But regardless, I think very much so that the Cubs had their sit down with Ohtani on Sunday.

This article has a lot of nothing on it. Ignore the headline and here's the only thing they show as to why the Cubs are "fading": "MLB Network insider Jon Morosi didn't even mention the Cubs during a segment discussing Ohtani's next home." Then it spends 95% of the article talking about Glasnow, Bellinger, Morel, and Yamamoto. I don't want to sound dismissive of things that eliminate the Cubs, but I think we have to all take a step back and remember what Olney said today: no one knows anything right now. Jon Morosi doesn't know. Bob Nightengale doesn't know. I'm confident Jeff Passan and Ken Rosenthal don't know. I don't think any team is fading in any knowing way right now. I do think reporters are guessing, and the easy guess is the Dodgers. Outside of guessing though, I don't think there's any evidence as to who's in the lead or who's faded. I remain optimistic that the Cubs are putting forth a big offer and have. They don't get here without it. Jed Hoyer isn't even in Nashville right now because he's (presumably) in LA. Sharma posted yesterday he once thought the Cubs would be outbid by someone but now, he's not so sure (meaning there's belief by him that the Cubs will outbid everyone. How much of that is tea leaf reading or not, be my guest). And none of this should be addressed at you, just kind of talking out loud. I have no idea if they'll get Ohtani, but I'm just not sure anyone has any idea of who's really trending anywhere right now. Hell, it looked right before the Cubs signed Suzuki in a similar courting fashion that the Cubs were no where near that one. That the Cubs aren't getting the headlines might be a good thing.

Also...Ohtani. It sounds like they're big game hunting. I'd say it'll be the goal to get an Ohtani or a Yamamoto. Then fill in the rest with one year guys who have upside. I doubt all of them listed. Just those types though.

Yeah, that feels very much like your Glasnows, Hoskins, Belts... But I also fully believe the Cubs are invested in bringing in stars too. Because I can see the undercurrent of that quote, too. Which is that while the Cubs don't want to block everyone with free agents, they will look to bring in players they deem worthy of taking up spots long term.

I actually like that quote. That says they want stars and one year deals. That they will shy away from the Chapman's. They're big game hunting and filling out the roster with shorter terms.

Could simply be because teams are told they aren't allowed to talk about their meetings.

Yeah, he's doing what everyone else...he's guessing. I don't think anyone has a clue what Ohtani will do.

Did he tweet it? Or was it an interview? I don't see anything on his twitter.Twitter. I'd love to see the full quote.

I sincerely hope he's wearing rubber duckie water wingies and drinking martinis in the hotel hot tub while belting out Don't Stop Believing by Journey before 4pm because Papa Hoyer isn't there.

A really good thing to point out. Opinions here are all over the place because no one really knows what he's thinking. This is a pretty insane free agent situation. I don't think he's going back to the Angels at all, but I guess we can't discount anything.

That feels like your perennial and current bottom feeder teams. Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Washington. Too rich for Oakland, as Fedde is going to make $5 million and not just $5. But that type. Also the teams who have no aspirations of the bigger fish.

I guess. For me, it just feels like we're at this level of money being speculated for Ohtani that it seems near impossible for a team to outbid another at such a level. We'll see, though. Maybe the Cubs can do that.

I know it's one of those things that will entirely bite me in the ass, but if Ohtani is that worried about winning, going to the 3rd or 4th best team in a difficult division, one of which has been dominated by the Dodgers, regardless of whatever plan they have, would seem to be a strange choice and I have a hard time seeing him ending up there.

Yeah, I think there's a level of it being...unnecessary any more. I do think things can happen a bit easier when everyone is there. And it probably changes up, to a degree, how things get done. Agents, players, VPs... In the end though, I think much of it isn't as needed as before. With zoom and technology...many of these things can happen much easier.

It sounds as if the Blue Jays GM, Ross Adkins is not in Nashville currently. He is going to zoom in for his daily press meetings because of a "conflict of schedule". It appears, as well, as though Jed Hoyer is not present in Nashville currently, either. Make of it as you wish.

I withhold hope that he signs in the next few days. Much like how it's hard to figure out exactly who's in, and at what level they're in by, it feels like it could be equally as hard for people, even like Jon Heyman, to not know exactly when he's going to sign. There's so little clear here, that I kind of expect it'll just happen without warning. And that might just be my own personal impatience shining through (not at Ohtani, mind you, he can take his damn time and I can't say horsefeathers about it because that'd be unfair of me), but I kind of think no one really knows when this is going to happen and everyone and their mother is just...guessing. It's easier to predict it'll happen later rather than sooner because if you predict sooner and you're wrong, people are mad.

Take that, Jon!

Joe Ross? To an MLB contract?

Yep. Feels like the trade market will move regardless of Ohtani. Free agents will (mostly) wait. Though I can see a team trying to jump the pitching market on like a Jordan Montgomery or a Blake Snell if they don't want to wait on Yamamoto. Teams who aren't in on Ohtani and aren't going to spend $200m on Yamamoto might jump in and grab those 2nd tier arms before they are fighting with the teams who lost out on Yamamoto.

I can get behind that.

Yeah, I tend to agree here. He's been the oddball on the reporting and it's not normally him who's doing that. He's spelling people's names correctly and not suggesting that Ronald Acuna plays for the Royals, so he's far about Bob. But yeah he's had some weird reports. Glad I wasn't the only one who felt that way. Couldn't tell if it was just because I didn't like his reports or what.