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When big sports news reaches the internet, you can bet rumours will also run rampant.

That was the case Friday afternoon, when updates on Shohei Ohtani’s future and his whereabouts turned into a s— Sho.

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Ohtani, the free agent all-star pitcher and hitter, has yet to make his decision where to sign next.

According to baseball insiders, the Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers are the frontrunners to land Ohtani. The San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Angels — his former team — and Seattle Mariners also have an interest.

But that didn’t stop the rumour mill from going absolutely berserk all day long, when social media site X came perhaps as close to physically exploding as it ever has.

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However, respected MLB reporter Bob Nightengale eventually threw a Rogers Centre-sized bucket of ice-cold water on the theory that baseball’s best player was going to be signing with the Blue Jays on Friday night.

“Shohei Ohtani is NOT in Toronto,” Nightengale posted from his official X account. “Ohtani is NOT on a flight to Toronto. Ohtani is at home in Southern California.”

Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith confirmed Nightengale’s reporting, but reiterated the Blue Jays appear to be finalists for Ohtani.

Nicholson-Smith and fellow Sportnet columnist Shi Davidi earlier reported that no decision had been made by Ohtani.

“Just because there’s no final agreement with the #BlueJay now doesn’t mean there won’t be one. Jays have been pushing all-in for Shohei Ohtani and there’s clearly mutual interest. As of this moment, though, there’s no final decision made by Ohtani.”

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That didn’t stop baseball fans and other sports followers from speculating and flinging far-fetched rumours, as the hashtag #Ohtaniwatch trended on X.

One person named-dropped Blue Jays pitcher Yusei Kikuchi, who allegedly made a reservation at an upscale sushi restaurant near Rogers Centre for Friday night.

Fans began speculating that the Jays’ hurler, who is Japanese, had plans to wine and dine Ohtani.

However, former Maple Leafs player Carlo Colaiacovo, who now works as a hockey analyst and co-hosts a sports radio show in Toronto, called it not credible but “just something we joked about on air.”

Earlier, unverified video footage of Ohtani in airport settings was circulating like wildfire on X.

Others had shared the flight path of a plane rumoured to be Ohtani’s as it crossed the border into Canada.

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However, the CBC reports that the plane was actually carrying Canadian businessman Robert Herjevac and his family.

This followed a report earlier in the day from MLB Network insider Jon Morosi who said Ohtani was en route to Toronto.

On Thursday, the New York Yankees took themselves out of the Ohtani sweepstakes after they acquired slugger Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres in a blockbuster seven-player deal.

In any event, if Ohtani does decide to sign with the Blue Jays on Friday, it would be six years to the day of him announcing his contract with the Angels, also on a Friday.

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