Shohei Ohtani Rumors: MLB Free Agency Decision 'Imminent' amid Blue Jays Buzz

The most anticipated free-agent decision in MLB history appears to be getting closer to happening.

According to MLB Network's Jon Morosi, Shohei Ohtani's decision is "imminent" and could come as early as Friday.

ESPN's Alden González reported Friday afternoon that Ohtani has not yet made a decision despite unverified reports suggesting Ohtani had picked the Toronto Blue Jays. Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith and Shi Davidi added the Blue Jays "have been pushing all-in" to sign the superstar and there's "mutual interest."

The Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Angels and Chicago Cubs are among the teams other than Toronto believed to still be in the mix for the two-time American League MVP.

Ohtani's free agency has been quiet, except for some surprisingly candid comments from Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.

"Clearly," Roberts told reporters on Tuesday, "Shohei's our top priority."

The Dodgers skipper also confirmed the team met with Ohtani for multiple hours.

"I like to be honest," he said. "Yeah, we met with Shohei, we talked. And I think it went well. I think it went well. But at the end of the day, he's his own man. And he's going to do what's best for himself, where he feels most comfortable."

Roberts' comments notwithstanding, one reason for the silence around Ohtani is because that's how his camp wanted this to play out.

Per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, Ohtani's agent, Nez Balelo, was telling interested teams that leaking any details of the process "would be held against them."

Rosenthal also reported that Ohtani and the Blue Jays were believed to have met on Monday at the club's spring training complex in Florida. Speculation about the meeting picked up when general manager Ross Atkins had to speak with the media virtually because he may not have been in Nashville for the first day of the winter meetings.

All of this suggests teams are more than happy to acquiesce to whatever Ohtani wants if they think it might give them a leg up in the bidding.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post and MLB Network, Ohtani is believed to have received multiple offers worth more than $500 million and could end up with a deal close to $600 million when all is said and done.

Ohtani's combination of elite performance and marketability as a two-way player has made him the biggest star in MLB. The 29-year-old isn't expected to pitch in 2024 after undergoing UCL surgery in September, but he set career highs in batting average (.304), on-base percentage (.412), slugging percentage (.654) and OPS (1.066) in 135 games for the Angels last season.