3 reasons why Shohei Ohtani will sign with the Texas Rangers

Reason #1 Texas is a winner and has a plan to continue winning

The Texas Rangers could have been that team Ohtani chose back in 2017 when they first were in pursuit of Ohtani. They had a very competitive offer financially. There were other factors in play. They were coming off a 78-win season in 2017. They had just traded Yu Darvish rather than attempt to resign him. They did not have much hope of winning going forward. Adrian Beltre was nearing the end of his career and it appeared Texas was about to engage in a rebuild. Ohtani chose the Angels over Texas and all other teams.

Times have changed though since 2017. Texas has come out the other side of a rebuilding process as the World Series champion. They are led by Bruce Bochy, a four-time World Series champion manager. They have a good mixture in the clubhouse of veterans and youth. They are setup to win now and for the next several years.

The reports have come out that Ohtani is prioritizing teams that will give him a chance to win. In six seasons with the Angels they never made the playoffs. Ohtani won two MVP's, but did not come close to sniffing the playoffs in his career. Ohtani knows that to be considered among the greats in the game he has to play on that October stage. He has to lead a team to the playoffs and then perform once there.

Texas is one of the teams he is looking at that now has postseason experience and is still getting better. Texas goes into 2024 as the reigning World Series champion, but also has the motivation to win the AL West in 2024 and dethrone the Houston Astros. Ohtani could be the piece that helps Texas accomplish that goal. It would be exciting to see how well Ohtani will perform in the heat of a playoff race in September and in the playoffs.