Fansided

What are the odds that Shohei Ohtani "Comes to Texas" and plays for the Texas Rangers

Section 133 made some noise Tuesday night as they pleaded with an Angels superstar to Come to Texas, but what are the chances this actually happens?

By Michael Sanders |
Los Angeles Angels v Texas Rangers
Los Angeles Angels v Texas Rangers / Sam Hodde/GettyImages
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A group of rambunctious fans took over the game on Tuesday night and injected electricity into the stadium and also some loud pleas for a certain Los Angeles Angels superstar. The game saw the Texas Rangers win again on Tuesday night taking game two of the series against the Los Angeles Angels 7-3 and winning their fifth series in a row. The story of the game was not Jordan Montgomery. He had a great performance pitching six innings and striking out a season-high nine batters. It was not Corey Seager, although he once again was amazing as he hit two home runs and had five RBIs on the night. It was the rowdy fans in section 133 who were audibly heard in-person and on the game broadcast from the first to the last pitch.

It all started from a simple instagram post and went viral from there.

It was organized by 20-year old Texas Rangers fan Jake Dupre. He started this community nine-years ago when he was 11 and has seen it grow over the years. It blossomed into a full fledged section takeover on Tuesday night that was seen, heard, and appreciated by the players and coaching staff. Dupre even got a moment in the sun when he was interviewed by Texas Rangers dugout reporter Emily Jones.

This section was loud all night, but one thing they did that really made waves across social media and that was chant, "Come to Texas" during every Shohei Ohtani at-bat. It was loud and taken notice of by Texas Rangers' broadcasters Dave Raymond and C.J. Nitkowski.

The talk around Ohtani is now shifting from a potential playoff run to his free agency. The Rangers fans are not going to be the last fan base to try and lure Ohtani to their city. The question becomes what would it take to sign Ohtani, does he fit on the roster, and what are the odds that Texas would be able to convince him to sign here rather than with other major league teams?

Next: The financial cost of signing Shohei Ohtani

What would it take for the Texas Rangers to sign Shohei Ohtani?

In the past Texas Rangers ownership kept the purse strings so tight that Texas was not able to play in the high end of free agency. That is no more. Texas the last two off seasons has committed the resources necessary to be able to sign the two best shortstops in free agency in 2021 Marcus Semien and Corey Seager, and the two of the best starting pitchers in 2022 free agency, Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi.

Ohtani has made it known that he wants to win. He thrives in winning environments. Scoff at the World Baseball Classic all you want, but Ohtani was the motivational leader for Team Japan and he came through both on the mound and at the plate to help Japan win that title over talented teams from Mexico and the United States. I have to believe he will want to go somewhere that he can win right away. He said this to the assembled media during All-Star media day back in Seattle in July.

Texas fits the winning team category to a tee. They currently have the second-best record in the American League, the best run differential in the AL, and all of the best players committed to the team long-term. Texas is set up to win now and for years in the future.

ESPN recently did an article that discussed Shohei Ohtani's true value compared to what he will actually sign for. The amount he is worth and what he realistically signs for will both be in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The first number at the low end will start with three and could reach as high as starting with five or six.

Ohtani is the best player in baseball and it will take significant dollars to even be at the table. That has not scared off Texas recently and I do not know why it would now. Financially they will be able to compete with other teams.

Next: What changes if any does Texas need to make to fit Ohtani on the roster?

Does Ohtani fit on the Texas Rangers roster?

This may be a stupid question. A talent like Ohtani will fit on any roster. Some roster modifications have to be made to truly incorporate a two-way talent into both the rotation and the lineup. The Rangers have to build a five-man rotation and then add Ohtani as the sixth man. They have to keep open the designated hitter spot, because Ohtani does not play in the field. Lets examine both of those situations separately.

The Texas Rangers rotation heading into 2024 currently will have Max Scherzer, Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray, and Dane Dunning. Andrew Heaney has a chance to opt-out if he would like, Martin Perez is a free agent and not likely to be brought back. If Heaney opts in then he is your fifth starter. If he does not then they would have to sign a free agent or entrust Cody Bradford with that fifth spot. Then Ohtani starts once a week. That is a good rotation that will win a lot of games. Remember, that there is a chance that deGrom is able to rehab and rejoin the rotation in August or September of 2024.

The lineup is somewhat easier. Mitch Garver, Robbie Grossman, and Brad Miller will all be free agents this off-season. The DH role is open for 2024 and the Rangers could easily slide Ohtani into that role. The one negative is that Ohtani will take over the DH role every day. That means that no DH days for Corey Seager, Adolis Garcia, or Jonah Heim unless Ohtani is sitting out that day. The negative of having DH tied up also has been to be taken with the knowledge that Ohtani is the best DH in baseball.

Ohtani will require some roster manipulation, but at the end of the day it is all worth it as he is among the best pitchers in baseball and one of the best hitters in baseball. If Texas can add him to both they will win a lot of games and be World Series contenders for the next several seasons.

Next: Can Texas actually compete to sign Ohtani?

Does Texas even have a shot to sign Ohtani?

The answer to this question could potentially be found in the past. In 2017 after he was posted by his Japanese team and allowed to take free agent meetings, he chose seven teams to meet with. Those teams were the Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Diego Padres. He eliminated the Yankees early on in the process and did not take a meeting with them.

The Ohtani True Value calculator at the end of the article throws out six contenders for Ohtani. The writer eliminates Texas and San Diego from the 2017 meetings list and adds the New York Mets. Ohtani did not want to play in New York back in 2017 and that has probably not changed. I think New York can safely be eliminated. I am not sure if the Cubs signing Ohtani turns them into a World Series contender. The other four I believe will all make great offers and are West Coast teams that are shorter flights away from Japan. They each have fan bases that are more diverse. They have ownership groups that are willing to pay top dollar. They each have built good enough teams adding Ohtani will make them World Series contenders.

Texas can compete with any of those teams, both financially and being competitive on the field. They are hurt by location, but they do have experience with Japanese superstars after having Yu Darvish pitch for the Texas Rangers from 2012-2017. They will be able to make any and all accommodations that Ohtani and his team could ask for. They have a beautiful ballpark, workout and recovery facilities, and a massive clubhouse. They absolutely have a team that could make a run at a World Series this season.

Remember the speculation said that Jacob deGrom was going to sign with the Atlanta Braves, Corey Seager was going to be a New York Yankee, and Nathan Eovaldi was going to be going back to Boston. All of that to say when this front office targets a player they want they normally close the deal with said player.

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