MLB: Shohei Ohtani Move to Boston Red Gaining More Ground — Here’s Why

(Photo : Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - Shohei Ohtani (#17) of the Los Angeles Angels with batting gloves in his mouth walks back to the dugout at the end of the top of the first inning against the Oakland Athletics at RingCentral Coliseum.

Shohei Ohtani is all set to hit free agency, and "Shotime" has been linked to several teams.

However, one team has gained ground in the race for Ohtani - the Boston Red Sox. In the eyes of executives, Boston is a real threat to sign the 29-year-old pitcher, although he may not be able to do much of that in 2024 due to his nagging elbow injury.

Things could be different in 2025 for Ohtani and the MLB team he ends up with. In the case of the Red Sox, they appear to be in the lead because of the Japanese baseball player's sponsorship deal with New Balance, which is based in Boston, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported.

Other than that, Ohtani is expected to be dangled a lofty $500 million deal in free agency. The Red Sox have the money to spend and are under pressure to make win-now moves.

The only caveat in potentially getting the 2021 AL MVP is that he may not return to pitching form until 2025.

Hence, it may be a gamble on the part of the Red Sox or any other team, especially considering Shohei Ohtani has yet to decide whether to undergo Tommy John surgery, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported.

Ohtani surgery is a concern

Assuming Ohtani opts to undergo surgery, he will likely be shut down for 2024. It is worth noting that it would also be the second time he would undergo elbow reconstruction surgery - something that prospective teams will consider.

Other than the Red Sox, teams who could bid for Shohei Ohtani's services include the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, and Seattle Mariners, per the Bleacher Report.