MLB Rumors: Shohei Ohtani 'Doesn't Love' Pitching at Yankees' Stadium amid FA Buzz

Shohei Ohtani might not be pitching again until 2025, but his next team will want him to be happy to step onto the mound once he recovers from elbow surgery.

That might be a problem for the New York Yankees' chances of signing the pending UFA, according to the New York Post's Jon Heyman.

"Word is Ohtani doesn't love pitching in Yankee Stadium," Heyman wrote Thursday.

Ohtani has a rough pitching statline through two career starts in the Bronx, where he has allowed 11 runs in 3 2/3 innings.

The Angels' two-way star told the Los Angeles Times' Sarah Valenzuela in April that he didn't have "a bad impression" of Yankee Stadium because he doesn't keep track of his numbers by stadium.

The Yankees were previously tied to Ohtani when the Angels were considering trading him at the August 1 deadline, according to ESPN's Buster Olney.

After reportedly discussing potential trade deals with teams, Angels went all-in on a quest for a playoff spot instead, setting up Ohtani to be one of the biggest free agents of the upcoming offseason even given his ongoing recoveryf rom a UCL tear. He is expected to be ready to hit on opening day, per Reuters.

Heyman listed the Boston Red Sox as "a real threat" to sign Ohtani, and reported that sources have connected both the Los Angeles Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers as teams that will pursue him.

Although it is unclear what Ohtani's pitching will look like as he recovers from major surgery, he can be expected to remain dominant at the plate. That could be critical for a team looking to compete for a title in 2024 with a lineup led by veterans like Anthony Rizzo, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.

Ohtani is coming off of the best hitting season of his career, having slashed .304/.412/1.066 with 44 home runs through 135 games with the Angels.

Only the league-bottom Oakland Athletics had a lower team batting average than the Yankees in 2023. Getting a hitter like Ohtani would be a game-changer for the New York club, even given his injury recovery timeline. According to Heyman, however, the team will have to overcome his doubts about hurling in Yankee Stadium first.