Shohei Ohtani Winter Meetings Updates: Cubs reportedly out of $500,000,000 sweepstakes for two-way phenom

Shohei Ohtani's name tops the priority list of nearly every team at the ongoing MLB Winter Meetings in Nashville. Regarded as baseball's first $500 million player, the stakes could not be higher as teams weigh the costs and benefits of actively pursuing him.

Heading into the 2023 offseason, the Chicago Cubs were seen as as good a team as any to make a play for Ohtani. They have considerable cash on hand and narrowly missed out on making the playoffs this past season.

However, according to recent indications from an MLB analyst in attendance, the Cubs may no longer be interested.

"The Chicago Cubs’ optimism of landing Shohei Ohtani has now significantly waned, one high-ranking executive said, leaving the LA Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants as the likely finalists" - Bob Nightengale

Per one "high-ranking executive" interviewed by analyst Bob Nightengale, the Chicago Cubs interest in Ohtani has "significantly waned". They now appear to be the latest club to give up on the 29-year old AL MVP.

The reasons for the Cubs dropping out the race for Ohtani may be many. On one hand, foregoing Shohei Ohtani frees up some valuable cash. With that, the Cubs could explore re-signing Cody Bellinger, who hit .307/.356/.525 with 26 home runs and 97 RBIs in a rebound season. Moreover, the team is reported to be very interested in Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Tyler Glasnow.

For the Cubs, pitching needs to be a priority. They have lost starter Marcus Stroman, who opted out of his contract earlier this offseason. Additionally, pitchers like Liam Hendricks and Drew Smyly appear less able to shoulder a heavy load than they used to be.

"The Cubs' hopes of landing Shohei Ohtani have "significantly waned," per @BNightengale. The Dodgers, Blue Jays, Angels and Giants are now the likely finalists" - Talkin' Baseball

For the teams considering signing Ohtani, they must consider that the Japanese stud will not be able to pitch in 2024 on account of injury. Hence, teams will need to balance their priorities even more carefully.

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Shohei Ohtani landing spot list is thinning out

Indicating that the Cubs are moving away from Ohtani, Nightengale also mentioned the Dodgers, Giants and Toronto Blue Jays as the finalists in the race.

All three teams have strong finances but also needs that go beyond Ohtani. As the race draws to an eventual end, it will be interesting to see the lengths these teams go to appeal to Ohtani.