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Could Shohei Ohtani’s canine companion, who made a surprise appearance in his acceptance video for the 2023 American League MVP award, hold the secret to his upcoming free agency decision? This intriguing possibility has sparked a flurry of wild conspiracy theories within the baseball community.
The speculation originated on an episode of Pablo Torre Finds Out, where Torre, in conversation with Dan Le Batard and Mina Kimes, shared a rumor he had heard. According to Torre, the reason Ohtani’s dog’s name has not been disclosed is because it happens to be the name of one of the teams vying for his signature in free agency.
Naturally, this revelation prompted laughter from Le Batard and Kimes. Kimes playfully suggested that the dog might be named Dodger, in reference to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
But hold on, there’s more!
The X (formerly Twitter) account Cespedes Family BBQ, run by Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman, added fuel to the fire by presenting an intriguing theory they had heard at the winter meetings. According to this theory, Ohtani’s dog is not actually his own pet but rather a rented dog, or as the person who shared the theory called it, a “prop pup.” The level of mystery surrounding Ohtani’s free agency has now reached such heights that there are even accusations of fake dogs and opera singers tweeting about sushi.
A prop pup? Now that’s quite a tale!
Fortunately, Ohtani’s free agency saga seems to be drawing to a close. Jon Morosi of the MLB Network reported on Friday morning that a decision is expected to be made within the next 24 hours. Morosi also mentioned that the Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays are believed to be the frontrunners in the race for Ohtani’s services.
Perhaps Kimes’ initial hunch was correct. Or maybe the dog’s name is Jay?! Only time will tell!
That is, if the dog even exists in the first place.
Perhaps the true companions we found along this journey were the real dogs after all.
According to the Source brobible.com