Rumours, plane tracking fuel day of speculation over Shohei Ohtani signing

By: The Canadian Press Posted:

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Two-time American League MVP Shohei Ohtani still has not signed with a team despite a day filled with online speculation including reports of a deal and Toronto Blue Jays fans tracking a plane they believed he was on.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 08/12/2023 (1034 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Two-time American League MVP Shohei Ohtani still has not signed with a team despite a day filled with online speculation including reports of a deal and Toronto Blue Jays fans tracking a plane they believed he was on.

The speculation frenzy on Friday was fuelled by rumours posted online and to social media, as well as an intense desire to find out which club the star Japanese baseball player is going to sign with.

It started with a message posted to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, where a veteran Major League Baseball reporter claimed Ohtani had decided to sign with Toronto, rejecting the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani during a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 3, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Jeff Chiu
Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani during a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 3, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Jeff Chiu

That was followed with reports and counter-reports that Ohtani was on his way to Toronto, or was not on his way to Toronto, or that the Jays had not been informed of his final decision.

Social media users tracked what they thought could be the star’s flight to Toronto, only for the CBC to report that the individual aboard was a businessman — not a prospective designated hitter.

The day finished as it started, with no official word on Ohtani’s final landing spot.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 8, 2023.

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