MLB Insider says Dodgers' chances to land Shohei Ohtani do not surpass the "50% threshold"

The Los Angeles Dodgers are considered the frontrunner to sign free agent Shohei Ohtani in the offseason. Ohtani has said that he wants to remain on the West Coast, and the Dodgers would be an excellent fit.

However, Ohtani is one of the most anticipated free agents fans have seen in some time, and multiple teams will do their best to land the superstar. Other teams reportedly in the running are the San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers.

Many around the league have already considered Ohtani to the Dodgers as a done deal. While all signs point to LA, MLB Insider Jon Morosi does not believe their threshold has hit the 50%-mark yet:

"No MLB team has a better chance of signing Shohei Ohtani than the Dodgers, yet I do not believe their probability surpasses the 50% threshold," Morosi said.

Ohtani is a private person and has stayed quiet so far during the offseason. This is likely by design, as he is not contracted to speak to any media members now that he is a free agent:

"I think that's a pretty good move from Shoehi," said Whit Merrifield on Ohtani staying quiet during the offseason.

This has caused a lot of speculation regarding where he will sign. Some await his decision to sign with the Dodgers, while others think he may sign with a surprise team.

Outside of the Dodgers, who are the best fits for Shohei Ohtani?

San Francisco Giants v Los Angeles Angels

While the Dodgers are the frontrunners to land Shohei Ohtani, they still have some stiff competition. One of these teams that will be aggressive in their pursuit is the Chicago Cubs.

The Cubs missed last year's postseason but are looking to start fresh next season. After parting ways with David Ross, they hired Craig Counsell as their new manager heading into the season. They also have a familiar face in Seiya Suzuki that could help sell the move for Ohtani.

The team with the third-smallest odds to land Ohtani is the San Francisco Giants. They also want to come into the 2024 season fresh under new manager Bob Melvin. Signing with the Giants would allow Ohtani to stay on the West Coast and be on a team with postseason aspirations.

It will be interesting to see who Ohtani will sign with and when. Whoever he chooses will get a player who can turn their organization around.