s decision to sign with the Dodgers for deal sent shockwaves around the sports world, though a particularly heavy dose of the impact settled in Toronto. Blue Jays fans (and po sibly the team itself ) spent wondering if Ohtani had decided on the Jays as his next destination, and a pair of now-debunked media reports only added to the fever of speculation. The full story of the Jays pursuit of the two-way star might not be known for some time, yet in pure financial terms, it seems as though the club at least came close to the final asking price. hears from a source that the Blue Jays offer to Ohtani was right there, so it doesnt appear as though the Dodgers $700MM deal was too far removed from what the Jays (or potentially other suitors) put on the table. Given how Ohtanis contract is so far beyond the normal stratosphere for baseball contracts or sports contracts in general, it is fair to a sume that teams approach also differed greatly from a normal free agent courtship. This was already apparent with the immense level of secrecy requested by Ohtani and his agent Nez Balelo, as every detail (true or exaggerated) that leaked out Ivan Rodriguez Jersey about Ohtanis intentions was heavily scrutinized. As Nicholson-Smith notes, there have already been conspiracy theories launched that Balelo and CAA used the Jays interest as a smokescreen to get the Dodgers to up their offer at the last minute since Los Angeles was Ohtanis preferred choice all along. Or, perhaps the simplest answer is true the Blue Jays did enough to make themselves a genuine consideration in the two-time AL MVPs mind, regardle s of where the Dodgers may or may not have ranked for Ohtani heading into the offseason. Learning that the Jays got within the ballpark of signing Ohtani probably doesnt ease much or any of the sting for Toronto fans. The fact that the Blue Jays were willing to spend perhaps upwards of $650MM, $675MM, or whatever the final bid was also doesnt nece sarily mean that the team has that much to spend in general this offseason, considering the special nature of Ohtanis on-field ability and starpower. Still, the Jays havent been shy about spending over the last few seasons, and the team has also been linked to such major free agents as , , former Jay , and a host of other players on the free agent and trade markets. GM Ro s Atkins has typically looked to at least check in on just about every notable free agent of the last few years, so this broad strategy could help the Blue Jays make a quick pivot as they explore their backup plans. Matt Festa Jersey