3 reasons why Shohei Ohtani will sign with the Texas Rangers

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There has never been a player like Shohei Ohtani in baseball history, so it was expected that his free agency would be like no other. He is such a unique player. He combines being Nolan Ryan on the mound and Aaron Judge in the batters' box. It has always been wondered what Ohtani would be able to get in free agency being both a hitter and a pitcher. The complicating factor to this free agency is that Ohtani had his second Tommy John surgery at the end of the season. He will not pitch until Opening Day 2025 at the earliest.

Teams are lining up offers, scheduling meetings with Ohtani, and trying to get him to sign on the dotted line. One team though will give Ohtani everything he is looking for. Texas is the one team that can give him an immediate chance to win, can pay him the money he is asking for, and will give him the freedom to prepare for a game in whatever way he needs to.

The reasons why Ohtani will choose Texas

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.

Reason #2 The Rangers' willingness to spend

The Texas Rangers have won the last two offseasons. They signed Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, and Jon Gray in the 2021-2022 offseason. They followed that up by signing Jacob deGrom, Andrew Heaney, and Nathan Eovaldi in the 2022-2023 offseason. They spent around $800 million in guaranteed contracts to sign each of these players. Most teams spend money and will not win. That was not the case with Texas. They have went from 60 wins in 2021, 68 wins in 2022, and 90 wins and a World Series title in 2023. Texas is not afraid to spend to improve their roster.

Texas is led by an owner and a general manager who are not afraid to spend money. They do not subscribe to the thought that a team has to tank for several years and build through the draft to win. Texas is blazing their own path rather than follow the model set by Houston. While fans debate whether Texas built or bought their championship, Chris Young demonstrates how a team can do both to try and win.

This offseason will be the third offseason since Texas started this process. It appears that Texas' number one target is Shohei Ohtani. Jeff Passan listed Texas as one of three teams that are "chasing Shohei Ohtani". Texas will not be scared off by the financial commitment it will take to sign Ohtani. If they were they would have already backed away.

Texas having played against Ohtani since 2018 knows the value he brings to an organization. They know how great of a hitter he is. They know how great of a pitcher he can be. They know the kind of interest he will bring to this organization and the tickets he will sell. The cost of Ohtani is likely to be large. The amount of revenue he will bring in both domestically and around the world will help the team make back some of the money they will be spending on his contract.

Reason #3 Texas will give Ohtani freedom to prepare in whatever way best fits his needs.

Ohtani as mentioned before is a unicorn on the baseball field. There is no other player that can both hit and pitch as well as he can. It also requires him to prep for games differently than most players do. He has to not only keep his arm in shape even on days he is not pitching, but also stay loose enough to be able to hit. The preparations in 2024 will not be as extensive as he is just hitting. He will be rehabbing as well from Tommy John surgery in preparation for 2025. Texas has experience with players and their unique preparations.

Corey Seager operates mostly like a robot. He has his swing mechanics down perfectly. He rarely takes a swing that is not perfectly balanced. That is a result of hours of work throughout a day, a week, and an entire season. Corey and the iPad are best friends. When he is not on the field he is normally in the dugout scouring tape of previous at-bats to try and prepare for his next at-bat. Prior to a game, he is taking his hacks down in the indoor batting cages. Texas allows Seager to do whatever he needs to do to prepare himself for the game that night. Texas knows that Seager's hitting is like Van Gogh's painting. They are both excellent at what they do and should not be interfered with.

Texas would likely take a hands-off approach with Ohtani as well. Texas knows the finished product is worth leaving the two-way superstar alone. I am sure that is part of the sales pitch from Chris Young and ownership to Ohtani and his camp. That he will be able to bring any instructors, coaches, and interpreters with him to the team. They will have access to him in the clubhouse and around the facilities. They will allow him to work out away from the team, take batting practice in the indoor cages, and do whatever he feels he needs to do.

The cost to get Ohtani will be massive and with it will come accommodations. Texas is one team that has plenty of experience making accommodations for certain players. They know how to take care of Japanese players. They know how to treat superstars and get the most out of them. It feels like at this moment Texas is putting all of their eggs in the Ohtani basket. He is their plan A this offseason. If it does not work out then they will move to plan B.

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