Japanese star Shohei Ohtani reportedly cuts list of potential MLB teams

Credit: Masterpress

Credit: Masterpress

Shohei Ohtani will not be a Cincinnati Red.

Long-time MLB reporter Ken Rosenthal reported Monday the Japanese superstar has cut his list of potential MLB teams to seven, and the home of the first professional baseball team did not make the cut.

The Reds were probably a longshot from the start, but there was some hope they could pull a surprise when reports spread comfort with an organization and city would likely play a larger role than merely financial considerations.

Although Cincinnati has to deal with some limitations as a small-market team, the Reds have recently done a good job of being creative in how they acquire talent, including being frequent customers on the international market.

That’s where they have found standouts such as Aroldis Chapman and Raisel Iglesias (both of Cuba) and former ace starting pitcher Johnny Cueto of the Dominican Republic.

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