First time poster here, but have been lurking for over a decade. I'm a diehard Yankee fan but always found the forums here to be the best place to find intelligent baseball discourse on the internet, despite the primary allegiance of the user base here. I have enjoyed following many discussions about the Yankees, Red Sox, and others.
So my first post is about Ohtani (or is it Otani?). Given Seattle's chatter this week, I see many calling the Mariners a serious contender.
But given that money is likely not the biggest factor, I have to assume that WINNING is. If that's the case, I see the Mariners as a longshot. They haven't made the playoffs since 2001, and have only played better than .500 twice since 2004.
If winning is important, the Yankees, Dodgers, and Astros have to be at the top. They are the best set up for contention over the next few years, with deep farm systems, who've also had recent success (as opposed to a team on the verge of contention), and-- at least for the Yankees and Dodgers-- a willingness to spend to improve the team.
I think the Mariners would have to have an awfully good pitch to convince Ohtani and his agent that they will contend. Surely with all he's sacrificing coming to MLB this season, he's not going to want to pitch for a team that might finish in 3rd place.