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MLB.com's bold predictions list Shohei Ohtani to the Mariners

MLB.com recently came out with 8 bold predictions for the MLB Offseason. They boldly predict that the Mariners will sign Ohtani, but today we are going to look at how this might not be such a bold prediction after all.

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93rd MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard
93rd MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard | Steph Chambers/GettyImages
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Shohei Ohtani is concerned with the quality of the team

Jon Morosi went on MLB Network and reported that the geography doesn't matter, but the quality of the team will play a larger factor in his decision. As much as Mariners fans want to talk about how bad this team is constructed and how they really need another 2 or 3 bats, this is one of the best nucleus' in all of baseball. Adding Ohtani obviously adds a significant bump to the quality of your lineup, and takes pressure off guys like Ty France, Geno and Cal Raleigh. I don't think he would come here unless there were some guarantees that he isn't the only acquisition this team makes.

With Julio, Cal, Kirby, Gilbert, and Castillo giving you one of the best cores in baseball, even acquiring Ohtani will still leave you with a hole in right field. Getting Ohtani doesn't mean you need a Bellinger-level player, but you certainly can't roll with a Canzone getting everyday at-bats. On the pitching side, this is one of the best rotations in baseball and takes the pressure off Ohtani to recover from his injuries before being forced onto the bump. It could also allow the Mariners to move to a sort of 6-man rotation, which is more common in Japan.

This is going to be one of the most important offseasons in Mariner's history and one of the most interesting stories to follow, but I don't think the Mariners are that far off of being able to get Ohtani. Let's hope that their bold prediction is right, and that Shohei Ohtani ends up in Seattle.

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