Which teams would be most willing to make Ohtani a 2-way player?
Now that Shohei Ohtani's path to the major leagues is clear, the sweepstakes to acquire the 23-year-old phenom are essentially underway.
Under the new collective bargaining agreement, Ohtani will potentially leave millions of dollars on the table by signing before age 25. Even further, signing as an international free agent makes him subject to the normal years of service and arbitration process, meaning he won't be eligible for free agency until he's roughly 29.
With that in mind, there's little reason to believe Ohtani's move is solely motivated by money. So, while front-runners to recruit the two-way superstar may include the clubs with the most international bonus pool money left - the Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, and Minnesota Twins - his decision is by no means limited to those teams.
In fact, the team most willing to guarantee Ohtani can play as both a pitcher and hitter may have the advantage. Here are five teams that have already shown a penchant for experimenting in this way:
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are as logical a first stop as any, as general manager Jerry Dipoto publicly noted the team would be willing to make changes to its lineup to accommodate Ohtani's talents.
Known for making countless roster moves, Dipoto is a forward-thinking GM, and was candid about the possibility of playing Nelson Cruz in the outfield to allow Ohtani to act as the designated hitter.
San Diego Padres
The most recent team to experiment with a two-way player is the San Diego Padres, who opened the 2017 season with Christian Bethancourt as a relief pitcher and backup catcher.
Of course, the Bethancourt experiment was short-lived. On his first offering of 2017 as a pitcher on Opening Day, he threw a wild pitch that allowed a run to score. To make matters worse, he appeared to injure his knee while trying to make the play at the plate. After appearing to be fine and returning to the mound, he threw yet another wild pitch to allow another run. The 26-year-old is now a free agent.
Regardless of the result, the team's willingness to experiment bodes well.
Cincinnati Reds
Of course, there's another team that uses a two-way player, but they don't refer to him that way. Michael Lorenzen of the Cincinnati Reds is a high-leverage reliever who has shown some ability with the bat.
In 2016, he posted solid numbers on both sides of the ball, putting up a 2.88 ERA with one home run in five plate appearances. In 2017, he was afforded more opportunities, but managed just two hits, including one homer, in 12 plate appearances, while owning a 4.45 ERA.
The Reds also selected two-way high-school phenom Hunter Greene with the second overall selection in last year's draft, and planned to develop him as a pitcher while also letting him DH. Since then, his development seems to have focused entirely on pitching.
Tampa Bay Rays
The only other team that can boast a two-way player in their system is the Tampa Bay Rays. Brendan McKay is the No. 1 first base prospect in all of baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, and also projects well as a left-handed pitcher.
With Low-A Hudson Valley, the 21-year-old posted a .232/.349/.376 slash line while also owning a 1.80 ERA in six starts.
The Rays are top of mind when it comes to savvy front offices, and they could use that to their advantage in a pitch to Ohtani.
Chicago Cubs
Finally, the Chicago Cubs present an interesting destination for Ohtani given their willingness to deploy the "Waxahachie Swap" - a move in which the manager puts his pitcher in the outfield so he can return to the mound later on.
It's far from developing a two-way player, but it shows that manager Joe Maddon isn't opposed to putting a pitcher in the outfield if he needs to.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)