5 reasons the Red Sox deserve to be the front-runners for Shohei Ohtani
No. 2: Ohtani's already established relationships with current and potential players
It's no secret to anyone in Boston that Masataka Yoshida was an excellent signing by former Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom last winter, but it may pay more dividends than initially thought as Yoshida's relationship with Ohtani, a significant one I might add, may add to why Ohtani should be coming to Boston.
The two played together on Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic in 2023, and supposedly have more than just a cordial relationship.
Are Masataka Yoshida and Shohei Ohtani becoming best friends? A lot of people are saying that. pic.twitter.com/Pt7G6OmYql
— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) March 10, 2023
In addition to Yoshida, Ohtani also has an established relationship from that same team with potential Red Sox pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamato - a former teammate of Yoshida with Orix Buffaloes - whom Boston has been linked to ever since he said he will be moving from Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan to Major League Baseball.
Both pitchers played on Samurai Japan together, and formed a duo that felt almost impossible to stop in the WBC. With existing relationships with both players, it almost seems like Boston is a dream come true for Ohtani.