Red Sox
The unnamed National League executive thinks Ohtani’s relationship with New Balance CEO Jim Davis could spark some interest in signing with Boston, according to Peter Gammons.
The Boston Red Sox have a very important offseason ahead of them, and they may have the opportunity to make the biggest move of the winter.
On Friday, Peter Gammons shared on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani could be interested in signing with Boston this winter.
“N.L. Executive long familiar with Shonei Ohtani believes he is interested in Boston, partly because of his relationship with New Balance CEO Jim Davis,” Gammons wrote.
Davis has spent almost his entire life in Massachusetts. He was born in Brookline, went to school in Worcester and currently lives in Newton. His sports apparel company, New Balance, is endorsed by Ohtani.
The Red Sox have been linked to Ohtani in the recent past, and acquiring him this offseason would be a dream come true for both fans and executives. However, there are a few issues standing in the way of that possibility, according to Gammons.
“Bosox problem: Masataka Yoshida has to DH, Ohtani off [Tommy John surgery] must DH, Sox [money] mostly going to pitching,” Gammons wrote.
Yoshida currently plays in left field, and he is debatably the least valuable defensive starting outfielder on the Red Sox.
The Red Sox will also have questions to answer about their starting pitching, and most fans would attest that it should be their priority. But in all likelihood, Ohtani will be a starting pitcher in the near future, depending on how his recovery from Tommy John surgery goes. Placing all of their eggs in the Ohtani basket just to wait for him is obviously not an ideal strategy, but he can easily fill a rotation spot for years if he returns to form.
It’s not clear whether or not the Red Sox will make an offer to Ohtani. But given his star power, if he really is interested in signing with Boston, then there’s no reason to believe that the Red Sox won’t reciprocate even a little bit.
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