The Seattle Mariners will have a second chance at trying to sign Shohei Ohtani this summer, and their fans may have been excited to hear one revelation the Japanese phenom made at the All-Star Game this week.
Ohtani attracted huge swarms of media at the Midsummer Classic, which was hardly a surprise considering he is the best player on the planet. The buzz was even greater because the All-Star Game was held in Seattle. The Mariners were viewed as finalists to sign Ohtani before he chose the Angels five years ago. They all still have a big following in Japan from the Ichiro days.
After the game, Ohtani was asked how close he was to signing with Seattle. He said through his interpreter that “people make stuff up” and that most rumors are “lies.” However, Ohtani did say he spent about four months across two offseasons in Seattle, according to MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince. The 29-year-old said he enjoys the area.
Ohtani also admitted that he heard the “come to Seattle!” chants that were raining down on him at T-Mobile Park.
Seattle Mariners fans loudly chanting, “Come to Seattle!” while Shohei Ohtani is at the plate. pic.twitter.com/ifX3Si5DsB
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) July 12, 2023
Ohtani will demand a record contract in free agency, and the Mariners will make an effort to convince him the deal should come from them. Most people seem to view one NL team as the favorite to sign Ohtani, but he will likely listen to numerous pitches.
