Shohei Ohtani showed the city of Seattle some love at the MLB All-Star game, and Mariners fans' hearts skipped a beat. Is this true love?
This is the beginning of an extremely one-sided relationship, maybe.
Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani is set to become a free agent at the end of the 2023 season, and every MLB team wants him. On the scale of desperate lovers, Seattle Mariners fans may want him the most, especially after Ohtani whispered some sweet nothings into their ears at the 2023 MLB All-Star Game.
On Tuesday night, Ohtani was welcomed to T-Mobile Park — a division rivals' ballpark — with thunderous chants of "Come to Seattle!" Dodgers' Freddie Freeman summoned all his self-control not to take the bait and potentially tamper with Ohtani, but he's thinking what everybody else on that field is thinking: Man, wouldn't it be nice to have him on our team?
Ohtani's potential landing spots remain up for speculation; his wish list, though, is made abundantly clear.
Seattle theoretically checks all of his boxes, but is it an unrequited love for the Mariners fanbase?
Good heavens — Ohtani has just flirted back.
Shohei Ohtani toys with Mariners fans' feelings — and they like it
Fellow Japanese superstar Ichiro Suzuki spent his storied career in the Pacific Northwest, and Ohtani could follow in his footsteps and bring his unique talents to a city inundated with sports celebrities.
There's NFL legend Marshawn Lynch, who made a quick cameo at the All-Star game before running away with some goodies. We suppose Russell Wilson would qualify, too. Sue Bird, Alex Rodriguez, Gary Payton, Ken Griffey Jr. — out of them all, Ohtani could be the biggest name Seattle has ever landed, assuming the feelings are mutual.
The two-way phenom's next deal is expected to set a new sports record ($500 million? $600 million?) and at that price point, money can probably buy love.
On Tuesday, Mariners fans were just getting a head start on the courtship, as Shohei Ohtani happens to be extremely hard to get. A once-in-a-lifetime catch.