MLB analyst optimistic about San Francisco's chances of landing Shohei Ohtani: "The Giants are in play"

Shohei Ohtani and the Giants? MLB analyst Chris "Mad Dog" Russo believes that the San Francisco Giants have a fantastic opportunity to acquire Ohtani as the trade deadline approaches. In recent weeks, the Giants have been linked to the two-way Los Angeles Angels star.

Speaking of it on KNBR's "Murph & Mac" show, Russo said:

"I think the Giants are in play. So I do think there’s a possibility there. I don’t think he goes to Seattle. But I do think the [Los Angeles] Dodgers are the leaders. They didn’t spend any money in last year’s offseason. I think the Dodgers are the leading team for him. They came in second last time."

"I do not think he’s going to go to the [New York] Mets, although [Steve] Cohen will not be outbid. He’ll spend the most money on him. I don’t think he’ll come here to New York. I think he’ll stay on the West Coast. I don’t think the Angels are going to keep him," Russo added.

Will Shohei Ohtani stay on the West Coast?

Since the 2018 season, Ohtani has spent his major league career with the Angels, and according to Russo, the Japanese superstar would prefer to remain on the West Coast.

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San Francisco, which yearns for a superstar to genuinely contend in the playoffs and beyond, steps in at this point. Ohtani might fulfill many of the Giants' needs for a big-name player. Even the Giants pitcher Alex Cobb wants his team to trade Ohtani now and not wait for the winter sweepstakes.

“I’d be thrilled if there was some avenue for us to get him at the deadline and sign him long-term,” Cobb told the Mercury News. "But if not at the deadline, then during this offseason.”

Ohtani had previously played for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He has been widely praised for his prowess as a pitcher and hitter, and he has been compared to two-way performers like Babe Ruth and Bullet Rogan.