If Shohei Ohtani reaches free agency, these 5 teams would be threats to sign him

At this point, Steve Cohen has to be at the top of the list for all star free agents. And Ohtani would be the star free agent. The budget appears to be unlimited for the Mets, so regardless of all the major financial commitments the Mets have made in recent years, Ohtani's price tag likely wouldn't scare the Mets. Billy Eppler -- the Mets' general manager -- had the same position with the Angels when they signed Ohtani to initially come to America ahead of the 2018 season. It's unclear whether Eppler's presence would be a positive or negative, because ultimately the Angels weren't able to make the best of Ohtani and Mike Trout in Los Angeles during his tenure as GM. The guess here is that Eppler's presence wouldn't have much of an effect on Ohtani one way or another.

A.J. Preller is arguably the most aggressive general manager in baseball, and under owner Peter Seidler, the Padres have become one of the biggest spenders in the sport. After failed pursuits of Trea Turner and Aaron Judge, the Padres signed Xander Bogaerts to an 11-year/$280 million deal. Fernando Tatis Jr. is signed through 2034, but Manny Machado can opt out next offseason and Juan Soto will become a free agent after the 2024 season. That could open the door for the Padres to be players on Ohtani, especially if they're afraid he'll otherwise end up with a division-rival.

It would be shocking if the Angels traded Ohtani to the Mariners, especially given the pre-existing history between Jerry DiPoto and the Halos. But if he reaches the open market, the Mariners could be an attractive landing spot. Seattle has been a top landing spot for Japanese stars, both because it's in an ideal spot geographically and because Ichiro Suzuki became the greatest Japanese MLB player ever largely while playing for the Mariners. Ohtani could carry on that tradition in Seattle, while joining a team that seems set up for a sustained run of success after reaching the postseason in 2022 for the first time since 2001.

There's no indication that Ohtani hasn't enjoyed playing in the Los Angeles area, but rather that he's become disillusioned with the lack of team success that the Angels have had despite his individual greatness. The Dodgers would allow Ohtani to remain in a relatively familiar area, while joining a team that hasn't had a losing season since 2010.

Over the past six years, the Giants have seen Giancarlo Stanton, Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge and, most recently, Carlos Correa slip through their fingers. That's particularly troubling when you consider how much star power exists in the National League West, both with the Dodgers and Padres. While other teams -- such as the St. Louis Cardinals -- were considered here, no team in baseball needs to secure a superstar more than the Giants.