‘He’d own Chicago’: Cubs eyeing second chance to sign Shohei Ohtani
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Jesse Rogers, ESPN Staff Writer
CHICAGO — If only the designated hitter rule had come to the National League prior to 2022. It could have changed the course of Japanese two-way star Shohei Ohtani‘s career — as well as the trajectory of the Chicago Cubs. At least that’s what the Cubs were thinking when they pursued him back in 2017, before he signed with the Los Angeles Angels.
“It was pretty clear he wanted to do both [hitting and pitching], and DHing was the best option for that,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said last week at the general managers meetings. “As good as the meeting with him went, we always knew it was going to be an uphill climb.”
The Cubs were one of seven finalists for Ohtani’s services back then — and one of two not located on the West Coast. At the time, Chicago was in the middle of a winning window, having made the NLCS three straight seasons, taking home a World Series championship in 2016.
“We had things rolling pretty well at that point,” Hoyer said. “I think he was intrigued.”
So were the Cubs.
Ohtani, now the biggest free agent in the history of the sport, is deciding where he wants to play next, and the Cubs are again interested in courting him, according to sources familiar with the situation.
Ohtani is expected to win his second American League Most Valuable Player Award when winners are announced Thursday evening. Everyone knew he could pitch, but what he’s done at the plate over the past six seasons has been eye-opening — for fans and executives alike.
“There were zero questions about his ability on the mound,” Hoyer recalled. “The offensive part of his game was underestimated.”
There will be plenty of competition for Ohtani this winter, but at least Chicago has the DH to offer this time around. It also just hired widely respected manager Craig Counsell to take over an 83-win team that just missed the postseason in 2023. Additionally, the team has payroll coming off the books in the form of Jason Heyward ($21 million) and Cody Bellinger ($17.5 million), leaving money for a massive deal. The Cubs were under the luxury tax threshold in 2023, ranking 11th in payroll, making it a little less undesirable to exceed it, if necessary.
The timing could finally be right for a Cubs-Ohtani union.
“Ohtani would own Wrigley Field, literally,” one NL scout joked about his potential salary. “He’d own Chicago, for sure.”
What Ohtani pursuit means for Bellinger
Bellinger was a 2023 success story. Signed to a one-year deal by Chicago before the season, he won a Silver Slugger Award, along with Comeback Player of the Year honors after compiling a 133 OPS+. And he played great defense, both in center field and at first base. He accomplished what he set out to do in coming to Chicago: Rebuild his value and head back to free agency.
“There’s broad interest in Cody Bellinger,” his agent, Scott Boras, said recently. “Cody had a great experience in Chicago. He can play well anywhere. A lot of this has to do with ownership. It has to do with their commitment.”
The Cubs seem committed to spending money this offseason, especially after signing Counsell to a five-year, $40 million contract, a record for a manager.
“I saw quickly that the organization is in great health,” Counsell said. “There is momentum happening here.”
But while a pairing of Ohtani and Bellinger would be a dream scenario for fans, it’s unlikely. Multiple sources think the Cubs are more likely to sign Ohtani than bring Bellinger back on his own massive deal.
“I think Bellinger is as good as gone,” one source familiar with the situation said at the beginning of the offseason.
Circumstances and history are two reasons the Cubs and Bellinger may not reunite. First, there likely will be teams not in the mix for Ohtani that are desperate for the next-best left-handed bat available. The New York Yankees were interested in Bellinger at the trade deadline and will be again, according to sources familiar with their dealings. The Toronto Blue Jays have been missing a dangerous left-handed hitter as well. The San Francisco Giants also are among Bellinger’s suitors.
Under Hoyer and owner Tom Ricketts, the Cubs have been measured in their dealings with free agents. Setting Ohtani aside, the organization isn’t the type that gets into bidding wars. And it won’t for Bellinger, according to sources familiar with the situation.
Another side to the narrative involves Boras and Ricketts personally. They don’t have the type of relationship where the agent can pick up the phone and negotiate with the owner like Boras has done in other situations.
To wit: The Cubs have not signed a Boras client to a multiyear deal in a very long time. That includes players on the free agent market, ones they’ve drafted who have won an MVP (Kris Bryant) or those they’ve traded for who have won a Cy Young Award (Jake Arrieta). They’ve all moved on. Bellinger is likely to as well.
Boras was asked if the timing of a Bellinger deal is related to Ohtani, who is represented by a different agency.
“Bellinger is a position player, Shohei is a DH, so those platforms of demand are very different,” Boras said. “Teams that are approaching Cody are teams that want him to play every day in the field. They may go for a DH and Cody, but their [paths] don’t cross because of that reason.”
Ohtani isn’t the only missing piece
Whether Ohtani becomes a Cub or not, the team has other holes to fill, including potentially at first and third base, as well as its starting pitching. They can dip down into their farm system for a trade, if necessary, as it’s as strong as it’s ever been, ranking second in ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel’s latest analysis.
The team also has power-hitting infielder/outfielder Christopher Morel playing first base during winter ball in an attempt to find a home for him around the diamond. If the New York Mets were to make Pete Alonso available for a trade, the Cubs could be a fit, with Morel as a centerpiece player in return, according to sources familiar with their thinking.
But Alonso recently switched agents to Boras — who is also San Diego Padres outfielder Juan Soto‘s agent. Both players will be free agents after 2024, and while a trade-and-sign deal for either player sounds sensible, it’s unlikely.
“I don’t think any player wants to play in an organization that he does not know,” Boras said. “That’s the normal course.”
In other words, playing out the year, then testing the free agent waters is more than likely for Alonso and Soto — unless they sign back with their current teams. New Mets president David Stearns also said he expects Alonso to be his starting first baseman on Opening Day — though, a lot can change between now and then.
At third base, a Cubs reunion with veteran Jeimer Candelario doesn’t seem likely, according to a source familiar with the situation. Interest in Candelario should be high coming off a career-type year, with Toronto and his old team, Washington, already showing some. Former second baseman Nick Madrigal played admirably at third for the Cubs when he was healthy last season, but he probably isn’t the everyday option there moving forward.
The Cubs are also in on Japanese pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shota Imanaga — the latter has already spent time in Chicago — according to sources familiar with the situation. They also have an eye on Milwaukee starter Corbin Burnes, in case the Brewers begin to subtract — and Milwaukee is willing to trade with the team that just pilfered its manager. The Cubs would like to acquire a starter after Marcus Stroman opted out of his deal recently — though young pitching is a sudden strength for the organization. Minor league righty Cade Horton could end up being the top pitching prospect in baseball next year, according to McDaniel.
But the big fish is still Ohtani. Like all his suitors so far, the Cubs are keeping their strategy close to the vest.
“It didn’t surprise me in the end, he picked an AL team,” Hoyer said about the 2017 sweepstakes, “but wish we could roll back the clock and take a shot at it again.”
Sometimes second chances never materialize, but six years after attempting to woo him the first time, the Cubs are getting another shot.
CHICAGO — Kyle Tucker had the fans on their feet, roaring and pumping their fists as he rounded the bases after hitting the go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning. His screaming line drive cleared the right-field wall with plenty of room to spare.
The Chicago Cubs went from giving up 10 runs in the eighth to scoring six in the bottom half and beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 13-11 on Friday in one of the wildest games on record.
The two teams combined for 21 runs in the seventh and eighth innings, with the Cubs scoring 11 runs and the D-backs plating 10. It was the first nine-inning game in MLB history in which both teams scored 10 or more runs from the seventh inning on, and the third game overall, according to ESPN Research.
“That’s kind of baseball,” Tucker said. “There’s a lot of ups and downs in this game, especially with how many games we play.”
There haven’t been many games like this, though.
The Cubs are just the seventh team in at least the past 125 seasons to allow 10 or more runs in an inning and win. They are also the fifth team to give up 10 or more runs and score six or more in the same inning.
The 16 combined runs in the eighth were the most in an inning at Wrigley Field, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
“If you’ve seen that one, you’ve been around for a while,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said with a laugh. “It was crazy. You know, we gave up 10 runs in an inning and we won. So it was a wild game, but we kept going, and, you know, there’s 27 outs in a game and this kind of proves it, and you’re just happy to get out with a win.”
On a warm day with the ball carrying, Carson Kelly homered twice. Ian Happ belted a grand slam and Seiya Suzuki went deep, helping the Cubs open a weekend series on a winning note.
“You’ve seen it early — having some tough losses, coming back winning the next day,” Happ said. “Losing the first game of the series, winning the series. Little things like that. Today’s a great example of professional hitters going out there and continuing to have really good at-bats.”
The way things transpired in the final two innings was something to see.
Kelly hit a two-run homer in the second against Corbin Burnes, and Happ came through with his grand slam against Ryne Nelson as part of a five-run seventh. But just when it looked as if the Cubs were in control with a 7-1 lead, things took a wild turn in the eighth.
Eugenio Suarez cut it to 7-5 with a grand slam against Porter Hodge, Geraldo Perdomo singled in a run and Randal Grichuk put Arizona on top by one with a two-run double. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a three-run homer, making it 11-7.
The crowd of more than 39,000 let the Cubs hear it, but their team regrouped in the bottom half. Bryce Jarvis hit Nico Hoerner leading off and walked Pete Crow-Armstrong before Kelly drove a three-run homer to center. Tucker, the Cubs’ prized offseason addition, came through after Happ singled with one out. Suzuki followed with his drive against Joe Mantiply to give the Cubs a 13-11 lead.
Arizona, which had won five straight, became just the third team over the past 50 seasons to lose a game in which it had a 10-run inning at any point, according to ESPN Research.
“You just got to stay locked in,” Kelly said. “Obviously, you don’t want to … give up 10 in an inning. Obviously, you don’t want to do that. I think the biggest thing is coming back, regrouping and continuing to fight.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Major League Baseball suspended New York Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. for one game and fined him an undisclosed amount, the result of his actions during Thursday night’s win against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Chisholm was ejected in the seventh inning by plate umpire John Bacon for arguing after a called third strike on a full-count pitch from Mason Montgomery that appeared low.
Minutes later, he posted on his X account, “Not even f—ing close!!!!!” then deleted the post.
“I didn’t think before I had anything that I said was ejectable but after probably,” Chisholm said after the game. “I’m a competitor, so when I go out there and I feel like I’m right and you’re saying something to me that I think doesn’t make sense, I’m going to get fired up and be upset.
“I lost my emotions. I lost my cool. I got to be better than that. … I’m definitely mad at myself for losing my cool.”
Michael Hill, the league’s senior vice president for on-field operations, said Friday’s discipline was for Chisholm’s “conduct, including his violation of Major League Baseball’s Social Media Policy for Major League Players.”
MLB regulations ban the use of electronic devices during games. The social media policy prohibits “displaying or transmitting content that questions the impartiality of or otherwise denigrates a major league umpire.”
Chisholm did appeal the decision, allowing him to play in Friday night’s 1-0 win against the Rays. He started at second base and went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Shohei Ohtani is away from the Los Angeles Dodgers for the birth of the two-way superstar’s first child.
Manager Dave Roberts said before the Dodgers’ series opener Friday night against the Rangers that Ohtani was with his wife and going on MLB’s paternity list.
“He and Mamiko are expecting at some point. That’s all I know,” Roberts said. “I don’t know when he’s going to come back and I don’t know when they’re going to have the baby, but obviously they’re together in anticipation.”
The 30-year-old Ohtani posted on his Instagram account in late December that he and his 28-year-old wife, a former professional basketball player from his native Japan, were expecting a baby in 2025.
“Can’t wait for the little rookie to join our family soon!” said the Dec. 28 post that included a photo showing the couple’s beloved dog, Decoy, as well as a pink ruffled onesie along with baby shoes and a sonogram that was covered by a baby emoji.
Ohtani can miss up to three games while on paternity leave. The Dodgers have a three-game series in Texas before an off day Monday, then play the Cubs in Chicago on Tuesday.
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