MLB executive believes Toronto flight rumors played a significant role in Shohei Ohtani's $700,000,000 deal 

The last 48 hours seem to have played out perfectly for Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers, while the worst-off would be the Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays were reportedly very close to signing the hottest free agent in the sport but missed out after he penned a deal with the Dodgers.

Shohei Ohtani signed a 10-year $700 million contract with the Dodgers who were the initial favorites to land the Japanese sensation once he entered free agency. The Dodgers were interested right from his high school days but missed out when he was drafted into the NPB. They missed out once again in 2017 when Ohtani signed with the cross-town rivals Los Angeles Angels.

But the Dodgers didn't miss out this time. Although the Blue Jays were touted to be a late entry with Ohtani reportedly clearing customs to sign a contract in Canada, LA was able to land its man in the end.

Insider Tom Verducci, an LA Dodgers executive, said the 'plane ride' made the franchise 'move.'

“This is where everybody thought it was going to wind up all along. The Dodgers were in him since high school. It’s the same city [as the Angels]. Teams felt all along they did not want to play the role of the stalking horse. The Dodgers’ M.O. has always been that they don’t move until they have to. I guess the ‘plane ride’ worked.”

Dodgers the most 'competitive' choice for Shohei Ohtani

In 2017 when Shohei Ohtani switched continents, he knew he was taking up a challenge in playing for a team like the Los Angeles Angels. They had promise but were far from being World Series-winning material.

Ohtani doesn't have to worry about that this time as the Dodgers are easily the most consistent team in the league, having won their division 10 out of the last 11 years. Even though sustained playoff success is yet to come, Ohtani could be the X-factor.