SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Everywhere you looked, every place you turned, everything you heard, and all you could imagine Tuesday, was all about Shohei Ohtani.
Ohtani was nowhere in sight. His agent, Nez Balelo, wasn’t available. And his former Los Angeles Angels boss, Perry Minasian, was talking only in generalities.
Makes no difference.
The Ohtani free-agent sweepstakes is the epicenter of the MLB General Manager Meetings at the Omni Scottsdale Resort where an entire industry anxiously awaits the outcome.
“We all involve ourselves and our profession around this game,” said Erik Neander, Tampa Bay Rays president of baseball operations “because we love it. We love talent. We love stories. And certainly, he’s as fascinating a talent as we’ve all seen in our generation.
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“Across the game, this is as anticipated a decision as we’ve had in our sport. This is certainly as captivating one to many, even for people that aren’t baseball fans.
“I think it’s great for our game.”
Ohtani, who will be honored next week with his second American League MVP award in three years, is the sport’s greatest two-way athlete in history, even eclipsing Babe Ruth. He underwent his second elbow surgery in five years on Sept. 19, and won’t be able to pitch again until at least 2025, if not later, but no matter. There’s not a team in baseball that doesn’t covet him.
Traditionally when a marquee free agent hits the…
