Ex-Mets GM: "Ohtani Will Be A Met!"

After New York Mets' owner Steve Cohen's spending spree this offseason with no regard for payroll, luxury tax, or anything else, is it painfully obvious where 2023's biggest free agent (and perhaps the biggest in baseball history) Shohei Ohtani will wind up? 

Steve Phillips was once the general manager of the New York Mets. Now a baseball insider and host of MLB Network's Starting Lineup on SiriusXM, Phillips says he has no doubt where Ohtani will be suiting up next year.

There is no doubt in my mind that the Correa deal means that Shohei Ohtani will be with the @Mets in 2024. There will always be one more dollar with Steve Cohen’s face on it than any other team. pic.twitter.com/A51Z92JbYO

— Steve Phillips (@StevePhillipsGM) December 21, 2022

"Ohtani will be a Met!," insisted Phillips. "Everybody keeps thinking the Dodgers are re-setting their numbers to go after Ohtani next year. But there will be one more dollar (over whatever the Dodgers or any other team offers) with Steve Cohen's face on it. Ohtani will be a Met. 

"Mark my words: On this day that they got Correa—I'm calling it: Ohtani will be a New York Met. There's no question about it in my mind right now."

The Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar becomes a free agent after the 2023 season, and unless the Angels have an unexpected huge turnaround to get into contention this season, it's likely that Ohtani will take his talents elsewhere in free agency. That circus could make the Aaron Judge drama of this offseason seem like a sideshow. 

Photo: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports