What are the chances we’ll see the Mets land two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani next winter? It’s bound to be a bidding war, with New York and the Los Angeles Dodgers being two of the expected favorites.
But remember how Ohtani wanted nothing to do with the East Coast before signing with the Angels in December 2017? That may not be as much of a roadblock anymore, according to a recent report from Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
While it seems like Mets owner Steve Cohen very much wants to make a run at Ohtani, it’s far from a certainty that the Amazins would actually land him in free agency. That’s not stopping one particular fan from feeling optimistic, though. He not only got himself a custom-made Ohtani jersey, but he’s also wearing it out in public.
This fan is so confident Ohtani will be a future Met that he made this jersey. Do you think he’ll be a Met next season? ? pic.twitter.com/7GC76zq5RJ
— Fanatics (@Fanatics) April 17, 2023
This is the kind of confidence I wish I had in life. But it’s just not meant to be.
Also, what do you think the fellow Mets fan is saying while pointing at him? My guess is it’s not a compliment. It’s that he got a custom jersey made with a number that would absolutely, never in a million years be given to Ohtani.
After all, the Mets went to a lot of trouble to make a big deal out of retiring Keith Hernandez’s number last summer.
I understand it’s hard to pick a number for a player’s jersey. Especially when it’ll have to change should they switch teams. But there are a few pretty simple solutions here:
– They could pick a number that’s not retired by the team. His chances of getting it right are still low, but the choice he made definitely won’t happen.
– He could just burn a bunch of money instead of wasting it on a custom jersey that may look completely foolish within the next 7-10 months.
– Or, he could just get an Ohtani Angels jersey. He’s one of the most popular players in the game right now. Everyone can respect that kind of purchase.
Even if Ohtani does land in Queens, this jersey will look foolish if it’s worn at Citi Field. But if the 2021 American League MVP decides to sign elsewhere, it will look even worse. The chances of this thing ending up in a pile with all those Carlos Correa Mets jerseys are just too high.
You can reach Matt Musico at matt.musico@xlmedia.com. You can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
