There are a number of areas we’re told would have been central to the Blue Jays pitch for a 29-year-old phenom
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Before the Blue Jays could make their unprecedented and exorbitant offer to buy the services of Shohei Ohtani, they had to sell the Japanese sensation on everything about the baseball club and the city.
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And as the waiting game for Ohtani and his camp to finally decide on his future nears its end, details of the Toronto courtship to make it happen continue to emerge.
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Though light on specifics, sources at the Winter Meetings in Nashville this week shed light on some of the tenets that would have comprised an elaborate pitch by Jays management and ownership, a presentation that helped established Toronto as a serious finalist in the pursuit.
In recent years, as it has had more to sell to prospective free agents, the team has become terrific at the high-end recruiting game, landing impact free agents such as George Springer, Kevin Gausman and Hyun-Jin Ryu. In previous years, those presentations have been detailed and elaborate, a process that would have been elevated even further for Ohtani, once he expressed interest in Toronto and considered the Jays as a contender for his services.
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Here’s a look at a number of areas we’re told would have been central to the Blue Jays pitch for a 29-year-old phenom, who any day (or minute) now will become the richest player in his sport’s history.
THE CITY
There is no doubt that Toronto the city has been a big part of the Jays pitch, a factor aided by the fact that Ohtani has enjoyed his visits here with the Los Angeles Angels. When he was here last July, those familiar with his time here said Ohtani enjoyed seeing parts of the city, a common reaction to big leaguers once they see what Toronto is all about.
Zooming into the area around the Rogers Centre, there is plenty of living options that fit with the in-season lifestyle Ohtani prefers.
He is a superstar, but by all accounts Ohtani doesn’t live like one. He prefers privacy to partying and simplicity to sensationalism.
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While there would be plenty of attention on him — including the large Japanese media contingent that follows him as a beat — the Jays would have tried to impress upon Ohtani that Toronto would be a world-class city ideally suited to how he manages his personal and professional life.
THE TEAM
After spending the first six seasons of his MLB career playing for a largely non-competitive Angels team, Ohtani has made it clear he wants to win. The joy he showed in leading Japan to the title at the World Baseball Classic this past spring was another window into that side of Ohtani.
Ohtani would be well aware of the competitive upside of the Jays, including young stars Bo Bichette and Vlad Guerrero Jr. as well as the stellar pitching staff he would add to in 2025. Surely during his talks with the Jays, the issue of future payroll and commitment to winning would have been discussed. Given any deal with the Jays would be for as long as 10 years, Ohtani would want to know of the Jays long-term intent to be high-end competitors.
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And then there is former Japanese high school teammate Yusei Kikuchi. While the pair might not be best buds, they know each other well enough to discuss the team dynamic, the coaching staff and more. From Kikuchi’s perspective, there’s certainly plenty to discuss given how the team didn’t give up on him after a poor 2022 season and were rewarded with a stellar bounce back the following year.
THE STADIUM
The Rogers Centre may not have the classic charm of Dodger Stadium, but as it applies to Ohtani’s wants and needs, that could be a good thing.
While much of the discussion on the $300 million U.S. renovation to the downtown stadium is focussed on the fan-facing improvements, the player comforts promise to be spectacular.
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A revamping of what is going to be a massive Jays clubhouse will be state-of-the-art with the intention of being the biggest and best in the major leagues. Elite workout and recovery facilities, food preparation, lounging areas and more will be an ideal setup for big league players, who tend to spend more time at their workplace than most other professional athletes.
The Jays would have emphasized the renderings of those facilities to Ohtani, who is renowned to be one of the hardest workers in the game and dedicated to meticulous preparation.
Live across the road and stroll to the best facilities Rogers money can buy certainly sounds like an ideal fit.
And then there is the playing field itself. Though it wasn’t exactly hitter friendly to the Jays last season, the dimensions are ideal for Ohtani as are the surroundings. Before he moved to North America, Ohtani helped craft his reputation where he swatted homers under the domed home to the Nippon Ham Fighters.
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THE MONEY
Ohtani is going to get paid wherever he lands, of course, but indications are that the Jays boldly made sure they were in the right financial stratosphere.
As a source told the Toronto Sun earlier this week, Rogers Communications went “all in” on Ohtani. There was a clear recognition from management that the value of Ohtani basically has no boundary — from what he can do on the field, to what he brings to ticket and jersey sales, marketing possibilities and other streams of revenue are plentiful.
A successful investment in Ohtani would all but ensure a continuation of the rabid fan support of the team, following a season in which more than three million people filled the Rogers Centre seats for the first time since 2018. Those renovations will include high-end (and high-priced) gathering places and seats. As big as an investment as Ohtani would be, the return could be substantial.
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