Cleveland Indians officially out of the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes

The Cleveland Indians weren’t a top team in the pursuit of Shohei Ohtani, but there was still hope until his final list of potential teams emerged.

The Cleveland Indians never made it known that the team was making a major pitch for Shohei Ohtani, but when he made it known he wanted to go to a smaller market, some were still believing there was a chance.

Ohtani, the Japanese two-way player ready to come to America, made it known he didn’t want to play in New York or Boston, but the whole small market thing may have been taken out of context because some major cities remain on his list.

The Indians officially dropped out of the race today when Ohtani’s final choices became public.

According to an ESPN.com article:

"Shohei Ohtani has narrowed his choice to seven teams — the Dodgers, Angels, Padres, Giants, Mariners, Rangers and Cubs — according to multiple reports."

We knew it was a longshot, but the desire for a small market screamed Cleveland. That is, except for the fact Ohtani’s final choices include the not-so-small markets of Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Regardless, the Indians will be just fine without Ohtani’s services. He may have only been the third pitcher in this rotation, while it would have been hard to find a place for him in the lineup. However, if he continues to live up to the name of the “Japanese Babe Ruth,” the team would have found a place for him every single game.

The good news is that none of his final choices are teams in the American League Central, while four of the seven are in the National League. This means Indians fans may get to get a glimpse of him in 2018 and beyond, but he won’t be destroying them on a monthly basis.

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The Ohtani sweepstakes have been a fun addition to the offseason, and it will be fun to see where he ultimately ends up.