Insider apologizes for bogus Shohei Ohtani flight report

Shohei Ohtani Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

MLB insider apologizes for bogus report about Shohei Ohtani flight to Toronto

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 12/9/23

Hours after sending Toronto Blue Jays fans into a frenzy over possibly landing prized free agent Shohei Ohtani, the reporter responsible for mid-day chaos has apologized.

On Friday, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported that Ohtani was on a flight to Toronto, hinting that an agreement with the Blue Jays was either done or close. That was not the case, though, prompting Morosi to own up to his error on social media.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Morosi showed remorse for reporting "inaccurate information."

"I regret the mistake and apologize to baseball fans everywhere," Morosi wrote. "I am deeply sorry for letting you down."

Today, I posted reporting that included inaccurate information that Shohei Ohtani was traveling to Toronto. I regret the mistake and apologize to baseball fans everywhere. I am deeply sorry for letting you down.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 9, 2023

Earlier in the day, Morosi reported that Ohtani was "en route to Toronto today," but clarified that the superstar had no agreement with any MLB team, including the Blue Jays. Shortly after that, Bob Nightengale of USA Today refuted Morosi's report, countering that Ohtani was home in Southern California and not on a plane headed for Toronto.

Regardless, the news had Blue Jays fans and others following the path of a private plane throughout the day only to be disappointed. Ultimately, the CBC reported that Canadian businessman and "Shark Tank" star Robert Herjavec, not Ohtani, was on the flight.

Despite the madness on Friday, Ohtani appears no closer to making a decision.

The bogus report doesn't remove the Blue Jays from the sweepstakes, but the group is still crowded. It includes the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs as potential landing spots in addition to Toronto. A return to the Los Angeles Angels isn't off the table for Ohtani, either.

Where he'll end up and when are still up in the air. However, Blue Jays fans won't soon forget the day they almost signed the best modern-day two-way player in baseball history.

More must-reads: