Shohei Ohtani will make a decision about his future this week in MLB free agency

Without any doubt, one of the big names in Major League Baseball free agency this winter is two-way player Shohei Ohtani. The Japanese star will be spending the next few days defining his future - to put an end to the entire series of speculations that have been generated around where he will be when the new campaign gets underway in March.

Ohtani has been linked to a number of MLB teams - the list is headed by the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs and it has even been suggested that he could even remain with the Los Angeles Angels. The franchise has until 12 January to strike a new deal with the 29-year-old, if Ohtani decides to stay where he is.

However, the latest news surrounding the player suggests that he has received several lucrative offers - some, in excess of $500 million, according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman.

The Samurai player underwent surgery in September to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and is not expected to pitch in 2024.

Shohei Ohtani won the American League MVP award in 2023 with an offensive line of .304/.412/.654 with 26 doubles, 8 triples, 44 home runs, 95 RBIs, 20 stolen bases, 1,066 OPS and 325 total bases. As a pitcher he left a 10-5 record with a 3.14 ERA, 167 strikeouts and 55 walks in 132 innings of work, this prior to his elbow injury.