The question on everyone’s mind is where free agent Shohei Ohtani will end up.

During the Winter Meetings, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was the only one to publicly announce that he had met with Ohtani. This is in contrast to the consistent “no comment” from the Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants, and Los Angeles Angels, who are considered the final contenders for Ohtani.

Roberts has met with Ohtani in person and has made it clear that the Dodgers want him. “Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who is attending the Winter Meetings, revealed that he recently met with Ohtani at Dodger Stadium, his home,” MLB.com reported on April 6.

Roberts was interviewed by reporters during the Winter Meetings and 먹튀검증 gave a candid answer to a reporter’s question about whether he met with Ohtani. “To be honest, yes, I did,” Roberts said. “I don’t think it’s right to lie. I don’t think it’s right to lie. “

Ohtani’s agent has asked clubs interested in signing him to keep negotiations and meetings private.

Japanese media outlet Junichi Sports reported, “Ohtani’s agent is mum. It was an unusual comment as Toronto, San Francisco, and the Angels jointly said ‘no comment. Toronto manager Schneider, who spoke to reporters earlier, avoided commenting on Ohtani, but Dodgers manager Roberts was a different story altogether. According to a source, Roberts was unintentionally and honestly expressing his feelings.”

According to Junichi Sports, a local U.S. reporter said, “I don’t think that making (the meeting) public will change Ohtani’s mind about his favorite club. If Ohtani wants to play for the Dodgers, he’ll decide it’s the Dodgers.”

On the other hand, a baseball official said, “It’s hard for a team to open up its negotiations to the media.” Ohtani’s negotiations are being conducted in secret by his agent, while club officials have remained silent about the talks. In recent days, U.S. media outlets have reported that Ohtani has visited San Francisco’s home ballpark, Oracle Park, and Toronto’s spring training camp, but neither San Francisco nor Toronto have commented.

Roberts confirmed that he met with Ohtani, but did not provide details of the negotiations.

Roberts said he had a two- to three-hour meeting with Ohtani, “It went well, and we got to familiarize ourselves with the team and the player. It was a pleasure to spend time with him,” Roberts said at a high level.

MLB.com reports, “There is no estimate on when Ohtani will make a final decision, but Roberts is hoping it will be soon. Roberts said signing Ohtani is our top priority.”

Ohtani appeared in 135 games as a hitter this season, batting .497 (151-for-497) with 44 home runs, 95 RBI, 102 runs scored and a 1.066 OPS. As a pitcher, he appeared in 23 games, posting a 10-5 record with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts. He was named the unanimous American League MVP for the second time in as many years. He suffered a season-ending right elbow injury and received the Tommy John surgery after the season. He won’t pitch next year and will focus solely on hitting.

American media outlets are predicting that Ohtani’s price tag will skyrocket beyond $500 million to a mega-contract of $600 million. So far, the Dodgers are reportedly in the lead in the race to sign Ohtani, 토토사이트 according to the analysis of American media outlets. It will be interesting to see what impact Roberts’ sudden public comments will have.