This time of year rumors in baseball abound like plates of heaping side dishes at Thanksgiving feasts. One has to be careful or you’ll get burned believing every Tom, Dick and Bruce.

It’s easy to blame source less writers seeking clicks, but in some cases the stories don’t unfold the way we all expect. Take Met managerial signings over the past few years and Carlos Correa. Not surprisingly, the juiciest of rumors surround 2-time, AL MVP, Shohei Ohtani.

Every team would be better off with Ohtani on their roster-even if he can’t pitch in 2024. National writers covering the league and beat reporters in the larger markets are going to spin yarns about Ohtani signing with their teams. It’s only natural and at the end of the day, most everyone will forget about all the misleading stories.

The other day, on his local weekly radio show, reporter Bruce Levine said that the Cubs and Dodgers could be the final two in the chase for Ohtani. I love the “could.” He’ll choke on that one if there ever is a third, fourth or fifth finalist. I’m linking to the crux of the story and revealing the lede. If one is to believe him and his source with the Angels, Ohtani generated $100 million in extra annual revenue and that’s what they got last year.

If this is true, then the Angels are the stupidest businessmen in the world. I have no idea how they calculated this 100m and if they earned that in each of the years he played in Anaheim, and if it’s easy to replicate. Any team would be foolish to not invest $40-50 million annually for a guaranteed return of $100 million.

It seems obvious that any team would be willing to make that investment with that ROI and not just the Ricketts family. Every owner is interested in making a buck. It also is apparent that everyone would be foolish not to cede the DH role to Ohtani as he recovers from arm surgery. Yet, there are a few teams that probably have tied up a few drachmas for a less worthy DH or corner outfielder.

In a corresponding marketing move, the Cubs announced that season and partial-season tickets are available for public consumption.

MLB Rumors: Cubs in the final 2 for Shohei Ohtani, and there’s a big reason why (msn.com)