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Could Sho-time finally be arriving at its highly anticipated next destination and more importantly, will baseball’s biggest name land in Toronto?

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For much of Friday, social media was touting the Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani as a sure thing to fly north of the border — literally and figuratively — as the Blue Jays saviour. By mid-afternoon, it was all but a done deal and what a Friday happy hour it was going to be, a triumphant Toronto conclusion to weeks of free-agent frenzy around the two-way phenom, who might just be the most sought-after signee in the sport’s history.

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Instead, the day ended with a sober thud and Ohtani reportedly back in California, nowhere nearer to Toronto than where he started the day, and possibly still pondering his future.

And then for the fans taken along on that roller-coaster, it was time to exhale. Or have a beverage.

The good news for the Jays and their over-the-top excited fan base — such as it is, anyway — is that Ohtani reportedly has yet to publicly choose his suitor, that a decision appears imminent and that the Blue Jays remain a finalist and likely a favourite.

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So the dream remains alive, albeit muted after the madness that was unleashed almost from dawn to dusk.

The day began with the thought of the Jays as favourites, but momentum soared skyward after a report from MLB.com insider Jon Morosi, who suggested an Ohtani decision could be made later in the day. Then the madness went next level with multiple reports that the superstar designated hitter/pitcher was on a plane from Anaheim bound for Toronto.

And then all of a sudden he wasn’t.

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In between, there was rabid social media flight tracking of a private plane purportedly flying from Anaheim to Pearson and a report of a 6 p.m. press conference in Toronto and more. Such is the star power of Ohtani and the perils of social media, a lethal concoction.

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And we’re guessing that the insanity of it all is a prime example as to why the superstar and his representatives have deliberately avoided any talk of his free agency and urged those teams after him to do the same.

With that in mind, it’s likely one of the reasons the Jays appear to remain seriously in play for the 29-year-old, who is expected to command a 10-year contract that will pay him more than $500-million US. Throughout the process of pursuing Ohtani, the Jays have refused to talk publicly or privately about their strategy, understanding the concerns of the player and his preference to keep as keep as much of his famous life as possible quiet.

In fact, there’s a good chance a significant part of the Jays pitch would play on the premise that Toronto would be an ideal city for him to work and play.

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Jays management, which put together a detailed pitch for Ohtani, steadfastly stuck to those rules and ultimately may still benefit from them.

Multiple reports had Ohtani in Dunedin, Fla. on Monday, however, where he visited the Jays state-of-the-art player development complex.

Later in the week, a source intimately familiar with the details of the Toronto offer said the team’s owner, Rogers Communications was “all in” on Ohtani, with suggestions that the offer on the table exceeded $500 million U.S., likely over 10 years.

The emergence of the Jays as a finalist took some baseball observers by surprise, but in many ways, the Jays are a solid fit for Ohtani.

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He has made it clear that he wants to play for a contender, he is serious about working conditions, which will play into some of the player comforts being added to the Rogers Centre as part of a $300 million US renovation and playing in a dome would suit his slugging ways.

The excitement associated with the Jays widely acknowledged emergence as a finalist certainly helped fuel some of the madness that unfolded on a crazy day of speculation. Ohtani is about to become the richest player in baseball history, while the story surrounding that ascent is reaching a never before seen stratosphere as well.

So after the flight that wasn’t was settled, the night appeared to end with the Jays remaining in the hunt for Ohtani as likely co-finalists with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The timeline for a verdict remains loose. Will it be some time Saturday or will it be early next week? As we learned on Friday, only the Ohtani camp knows for certain and it seems they are justifiably going to continue to own their own narrative.

Meanwhile, my favourite story from Friday? A pal who both bought into the hype and profited from it at the same time. The savvy dude bought some tickets for opening day in the morning then flipped them for a profit later in the day, keeping a pair for himself.

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