Blue Jays manager playfully suggests Shohei Ohtani should give back gifts from his free-agent visit

Ohtani’s Free Agency Choice and World Series Showdown

Before the Toronto Blue Jays fans set their sights on a World Series victory, they really hoped for Shohei Ohtani to join them during free agency.

Ohtani met with the Blue Jays on December 4, 2023, at their spring training facility in Dunedin, Florida, but ended up signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The first game of the World Series is scheduled for Friday at 8 p.m. ET at Rogers Center and will be shown exclusively on FOX, with Ohtani slated to bat leadoff for the Blue Jays.

In a lighthearted moment, the Blue Jays presented Ohtani with a hat and a jacket for his dog, Decoy. The Blue Jays manager, John Schneider, humorously requested the items back later.

“I hope he brings the hat back. He took it from us during our meeting, so fingers crossed he returns it,” Schneider mentioned on Thursday.

When Ohtani heard these comments, he merely smiled and replied through an interpreter, “It’s in my garage.”

Last season, which was his first with the Dodgers, Ohtani clinched the National League MVP award. He boasted a remarkable .310 batting average, smashing 54 home runs, 130 RBIs, and stealing 59 bases, significantly contributing to the Dodgers’ World Series triumph.

Returning to the mound this season after undergoing elbow surgery, Ohtani continued to impress. Even in a limited role, he started 14 games, finishing with a 1-1 record, a 2.87 ERA, and racking up 62 strikeouts over 47 innings. At the same time, he maintained a .282 batting average with 55 home runs, 102 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases.

His stellar regular season has put him in contention for the MVP honor for the fourth time in his career.

Ohtani recently delivered a performance that might go down as one of the greatest in MLB postseason history. During the game against the Milwaukee Brewers, where the Dodgers secured their fourth consecutive National League Championship Series win, he pitched six shutout innings, recorded ten strikeouts, and hit three home runs.

“He’s an exceptional player,” Schneider said. “Still, I believe we have an incredible team with outstanding character. Things split just as they were meant to.”

Schneider, however, admitted he’s unsure how close they were to landing Ohtani during free agency. “When we met with him, there was excitement about his feedback regarding our organization and the possibilities here,” Schneider acknowledged. “But free agency is complex, and you never know how players truly feel. Right now, we need to focus on our 26 players.”