Shohei Ohtani's agent breaks silence on 'reckless' 2023 Blue Jays rumor

The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani before the 2024 offseason, but not before rumors about him potentially joining the Blue Jays ran wild.

In December 2023, a private jet belonging to Canadian businessman Robert Herjavec was confused to be Ohtani traveling from Orange County to Toronto, according to the Los Angeles Times. MLB Network reporter Jon Morosi quickly reported that it was Ohtani traveling to meet with the Blue Jays, as they were seen as finalists to land him. However, Ohtani's agent, Nez Balelo, has cleared the air on the rumor.

"Well, that was reckless reporting. We actually tried to let the individual know, 'No, we're not on a plane,'" Balelo said. "I felt bad for the country of Canada. I felt horrible for the organization because clearly they knew we weren't."

Despite what the organization knew, many fans were still upset about the rumor and held it against Ohtani when he signed with the Dodgers. He was booed by fans in Toronto in his first game in the city after joining the Dodgers. Of course, he hit a home run in his first at-bat of the game to silence them.

Ohtani's decision to join the Dodgers has worked out well for him. He won his third career MVP Award and became the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season. He also, perhaps most importantly, helped the Dodgers win a World Series.

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Ohtani's agent was clearly upset about how things were handled in the media. During his interview, moderated by Ben Verlander, it was also revealed how he would prefer to handle things involving Ohtani.

"Balelo prefers operating behind the scenes and carefully controlling the narrative around Ohtani," wrote the Associated Press. "But even he couldn't tamp down a cottage industry of rumors about which team would land Ohtani and how much it would cost."

More MLB: Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani made shocking contract decision during free agency