Andy Martino on New York Mets’ plans to acquire Shohei Ohtani: “The early feel is that Shohei Ohtani will be next Winter’s pursuit”

If the New York Mets have anything to say about it, Los Angeles Angels superstar pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani may be switching coasts after this upcoming season.

"The early feel is that Shohei Ohtani will be next winter's pursuit," MLB Insider Andy Martino said on the Met's flagship station, SNY, on Friday.

"Do you think the Mets haven’t already discussed a future that includes Ohtani?" - SNY's Andy Martino

The Mets, under the deep-pocketed leadership of new owner Steve Cohen, have let it be known that they have no problem being big-market spenders similar to the Yankees.

It has been a tremendously busy offseason for the Mets, who have both gained and lost in the current free agent market.

New York has lost two prominent members of their starting pitching staff this winter: staff ace Jacob deGrom to the Texas Rangers and Taijuan Walker to division rival the Philadelphia Phillies. However, the Mets replaced those losses with the free agent signings of reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander and veteran starter Jose Quintana. Another member of their 2022 pitching staff, Chris Bassitt, remains unsigned for now.

The Mets are currently considering bringing in one of Shohei Ohtani's Japanese countrymen, with the team reportedly linked to pitcher Kodai Senga -- who is coming to MLB after spending his entire career up to this point in Nippon Professional Baseball.

Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels celebrates a home run

Shohei Ohtani may reap a historic free agent deal

Shohei Ohtani, the 2018 Rookie of the Year and 2021 AL MVP, represents an investment that will likely be a historic high free agent contract.

The double duty phenomenon, who is as feared as a hitter as he is a pitcher, is already due to make $30 million in 2023 in the final year of his current contract with the Angels. He is currently the 16th-highest paid player in the league in terms of annual average value (AAV) after several members of the 2022 free agent class rocketed ahead of him in the past couple of weeks.

Ohtani figures to launch himself into the salary stratosphere if he makes the free agent market next winter. In five seasons with the Angels, he has hit .267 while averaging more than 25 home runs and 68 RBIs per season.

While those numbers don't leap off the page by themselves, when you mix in his pitching stats of a 2.96 ERA with 441 strikeouts and a 28-14 record in four seasons as the Angels' staff ace.

In 2022, Ohtani set personal MLB bests with 219 strikeouts and a 2.33 ERA. He finished second in the AL MVP race, with only the historic home run effort of Aaron Judge coming between Ohtani and his second consecutive MVP Award.