After learning Ohtani wasn’t coming to Chicago to play for either team, I wiped the hurt from my heart and started to look at what the rest of MLB is going to do before spring training.

I hope none of my fellow Cub fans took this snubbing of Wrigleyville personally. Other than the money considerations and off field possibilities, we’ll never know how many teams he really considered as landing spots. We all have to move on and look at what everyone else will do to fill some gaping holes in rosters across the league.

It’s only natural for fans to take free agent snubs personally. We do it regardless of the sport. In the post Michael Jordan era, we’ve taken every snub personally and with good reason (ha). I think the teams have to look at where and how they came up short in their proposals as they have to lure other players.

If the Cubs can resign Cody Bellinger to a contract that is acceptable, all will be forgotten. We’ve been led to believe that he enjoyed his season with the Cubs as much as Eric Karros did in 2003. Yet, two other team-favorites, Jeimer Candelario and Wade Miley signed elsewhere recently, the Reds and Brewers respectively.

While Dodger lovers and big picture fans are focusing on the strength of the Dodgers batting order and path to the World Series, the rest of us are looking at our own teams, their gaping holes and how best to fill them.

Because their profiles are slightly different, I don’t know if Bellinger and DH J.D. Martinez (no relation) are being pursued by the same teams, but if the bigger market teams are involved in both players, their eventual signing will have a smaller ripple effect.

Almost as if to confuse White Sox management, the Twins and Tigers don’t appear to have a clear plan for 2024. As a result, we’ll hear endless excuses for inactivity during the season because, “The AL Central is winnable, and a 70 win Sox team could make the postseason.

When Chris Getz inherited the GM gig and former Royals lackey, Pedro Grifol as manager, some fans feared they’d stack up on former Royals. Acquiring former K.C infielder, Nicky Lopez seemed to confirm those fears. Personally, I think the Sox have turned the corner in their acquisition of every former Astros catcher.

I’m glad for my Sox fan friends and relatives that Korey Lee and Max Stassi will be behind the plate instead of Yasmani Grandal. I heard that they are pursuing, Skip Jutze and Luis Pujols as backups.

Fans and the media in Boston, Toronto, Tampa and Baltimore have to figure out how they’re going to compete with the Evil Empire and each other. It was fun watching the Orioles shake things up last season, and I’m sure the national media will have dour predictions.

I think the funniest situation is in Atlanta where they seem to be making moves for the sake of making moves. They are as directionless as the new driverless cars in Arizona. Trader Jack McKeon is rolling over in Dallas Green’s grave.