Red Sox Reportedly Among Favorites For Angels Superstar

This upcoming Major League Baseball offseason likely will be one of the most exciting in recent memory.

Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani is set to hit free agency and very well could be the most sought-after free agent in MLB history. Ohtani undoubtedly will land the largest contract in baseball history — despite an injured elbow — and it’s unclear where he will sign.

Speculation is going to continue to swirl until Ohtani ultimately signs the dotted line, but The Athletic’s Jim Bowden surprisingly has the Boston Red Sox with the fifth-best chances of landing the superstar this upcoming offseason.

“The baseball gods might be looking down on the Red Sox and preparing to redeem them, all these years later, for trading Babe Ruth to the (New York Yankees),” Bowden said. “So, perhaps it’s in the cards for Ohtani, this generation’s Ruth, to come to Boston and finish his career at Fenway Park — to make up for Ruth finishing his career at Yankee Stadium.”

“OK, that tantalizing storyline aside, Fenway Park has always been a haven for left-handed hitters, from Carl Yastrzemski to Fred Lynn to David Ortiz to Rafael Devers. With the Red Sox needing another middle-of-the-order bat and a top-of-the-rotation starter, the first is obvious. Chris Sale’s $27.5 million salary comes off the books after 2024, so the Red Sox should have financial room to make an Ohtani deal work if they want to go down that road.”

Ohtani would be the perfect fit for the Red Sox if the club decided to meet the superstar’s massive cost. Boston has impressed people this season and has been much better than expected.

The Red Sox have some very intriguing talent at the big league level but even more so in the minors. Boston needs an improvement to the starting rotation and with Justin Turner likely heading toward free agency, the club could use a designated hitter, as well.

It’s unclear if the Red Sox would meet Ohtani’s price tag, but it’s certainly a positive that Boston is being mentioned as one of the favorites for the superstar’s talents.