Leave it to the reporters and executives to provide some sparks to what has otherwise been a dull winter meetings.
Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer and USA Today baseball reporter Bob Nightengale exchanged “some stern words,” according to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers, after Nightengale reported Tuesday that the Cubs are essentially out of the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes.
“A little inside baseball,” Rogers said on ESPN Chicago on Tuesday. “Jed spoke with reporters a few minutes ago. As he’s walking toward the group, he runs into Bob Nightengale and there were some stern words exchanged. Stern words exchanged. Don’t know what was said.”
Tensions can rise between reporters and executives while they do the information dance, but not all of those back-and-forths go public.
Hoyer likely would have been miffed with Nightengale’s multiple reports that said the Cubs are also-rans in the Ohtani derby, which is supposed to be a sealed-lips affair.
Nightingale first tweeted around 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday: “The Chicago Cubs’ optimism of landing Shohei Ohtani has now significantly waned, one high-ranking executive said, leaving the LA Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants as the likely finalists.”
His 4:27 p.m. column then included this update: “The Chicago Cubs, who were in the mix early in the sweepstakes, now appear to be out after balking at Ohtani’s price tag of 10 years and at least $500 million, according to one high-ranking Cubs official.”
That last line about the high-ranking Cubs official may have particularly set off Hoyer since teams are not supposed to be commenting about Ohtani, but it also could be hurting the Cubs’ leverage with other free agents if it’s known they aren’t actually in on Ohtani.
Hoyer shot down Nightengale’s report after the “stern” exchange.
“I don’t know where that came from,” Hoyer said. “There’s nothing to report whatsoever. I think on all the Ohtani stuff, just like any free agent, I’m not going to talk about discussions or meetings or where it is, going to keep that quiet like anything else.”
Nightengale’s report cited the Dodgers and the Blue Jays as co-favorites for the reigning AL MVP, with the Giants and Angels still in the hunt.