3 reasons the Mets and Shohei Ohtani are still a perfect match in free agency

Despite a rough season, the Mets still plan to be a "win now" team for the future, which is what Ohtani wants

No matter where Shohei Ohtani signs this offseason, it's clear that he wants to go to a team that is serious about contending for championships. The Angels haven't been able to provide this for him, with not one playoff appearance during the Ohtani era thus far. Many fans and analysts across baseball believe that without a strong showing from the Angels in the playoffs this season, Ohtani will most likely be on a new team for 2024.

While their record doesn't speak for this in 2023, the Mets are still in a position to compete for the future. They have the star power necessary to make a deep run, and Steve Cohen and the front office have shown a commitment towards putting a contender on the diamond.

Of course, the Mets can't trot out this exact same lineup next season and expect Ohtani to buy in immediately. The front office needs to make changes across the board to this team if they want to have any chance of competing, Ohtani or not. Regardless, the mentality of this team remains the same; as long as Steve Cohen is in charge, the team expects to be playing meaningful baseball in October, which has eluded Shohei in his career so far.