Chicago Cubs: Shohei Ohtani heads west, signs with Los Angeles Angels

Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani made a decision Friday, signing with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, passing on a chance to join the Chicago Cubs.

Despite having nearly two weeks left till the league-imposed deadline, Japanese standout Shohei Ohtani made his decision Friday afternoon. The two-way star will join Mike Trout with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, allowing the other suitors, including the Chicago Cubs, to move on with their other offseason plans.

Ohtani, 23, issued the following statement through his agency, CAA Sports.

“This morning, after a thorough, detailed process, Shohei Ohtani has decided to sign with the Los Angeles Angels. Shohei is humbled and flattered by all the time and effort that so many teams put into their presentations and sincerely thanks them for their professionalism. In the end, he felt a strong connection with the Angels and believes they can best help him reach his goals in Major League Baseball.

The statement went on to make something very clear. This decision was not driven by geographic location or market size. More than anything, he felt a deep bond with the Angels, a team that has missed the postseason on a near-annual basis since Mike Trout joined the team back in 2011.

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Ohtani and Trout look to snap that trend in 2018. More likely than not, those hopes rest on the team’s pitching staff. Ohtani, who didn’t crack 30 innings pitched due to injury in 2017, will likely be handled carefully. It’s unrealistic to expect him to completely change a rotation in his rookie season.

Cubs moving ahead with their offseason plans

As for the Cubs, the offseason moves forward. The club filled one need on Thursday, signing Tyler Chatwood to a three-year deal. The right-hander brings some intriguing peripherals to the North Side. More importantly, Chicago now boasts four starters under team control through 2020.

Theo Epstein and the front office still has a lengthy to-do list. The Cubs still lack a fifth starter. But with Ohtani out of the picture, will the team re-shift focus to Alex Cobb? Chicago has been linked to the former Tampa Bay right-hander for months, but will likely fetch a hefty price on the open market.

Outside of a fifth starter, the Cubs badly need help in the bullpen. Either via free agency or DFA, they’ve lost Hector Rondon, Wade Davis, Koji Uehara and Brian Duensing in the last month. Chicago will no-doubt focus on this area heading into the Winter Meetings. Whether or not the Cubs deal from their stockpile of position players remains to be seen, but it seems somewhat probable.

Next: Outside of Ohtani, what moves are Cubs working toward?

Losing out on Ohtani doesn’t really impact Chicago’s offseason in my mind. Chatwood is a solid addition and Epstein isn’t the guy to get caught off-guard by something like this. You know he has Plan B and Plan C (and more) lined up and will get back after it. Obviously, it would have been exciting to watch this budding star play at Wrigley – but with or without him, this club is focused on getting back to October.