Chris 'Mad Dog' Russo believes Dodgers are the ideal fit for Shohei Ohtani if he wants to be a champion

As free agency starts to heat up, all eyes are on superstar Shohei Ohtani. He is, without a doubt, the best free agent on the open market, and teams will be aggressive in pursuing him.

While he will not pitch in 2024, Ohtani will be the designated hitter for whichever team signs him. He underwent an elbow procedure near the end of the regular season to address his UCL tear.

Despite being unable to pitch next season, Ohtani is still insanely valuable. He is coming off an MVP season with a strong season at the plate. MLB personality Chris 'Mad Dog' Russo believes that offense would be an excellent fit for the Los Angeles Dodgers:

"From a winning perspective, you gotta go with the Dodgers," Russo said.

If Shohei Ohtani values winning, then Russo believes the no-brainer option would be to sign with the Dodgers. At the time of writing, they hold the second-lowest odds of winning the World Series in 2024:

“The Dodgers, Rangers and Boston Red Sox all are expected to be in the Ohtani sweepstakes, according to sources. And though the industry's overwhelming expectation is that he winds up with the Dodgers, that line of thinking is perhaps presumptive,” Jeff Passan said.

Ohtani would fit in nicely next to Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, who he beat out to win the AL MVP Award this season. That would be one of the most feared lineups in the league.

Aside from the Dodgers, who else has a chance to sign Shohei Ohtani?

Los Angeles Angels v Philadelphia Phillies

While the Dodgers seem to be the front runners, they are not the only ones with a good chance of signing Shohei Ohtani. One team that has recently dropped their hat in the Ohtani sweepstakes is the Chicago Cubs.

The Cubs want to come out the gate strong during the 2024 season. They just hired Craig Counsell after parting ways with catcher-turned-manager David Ross at the end of the season.

They pursued Ohtani back in 2017 but ultimately did not sign with them. Their location could hinder them, as Ohtani has stated that he would prefer to go to a team on the West Coast.

Free agency is just starting, so expect teams to ramp up their pursuit of Ohtani soon. No team will want to see him sign elsewhere before they get a chance to offer.