MILWAUKEE -- The Brewers have been informed they're out of the running for Japanese star Shohei Ohtani, general manager David Stearns said Sunday.
Stearns had hoped to make a face-to-face pitch for the 23-year-old right-handed pitcher and left-handed hitter after the Brewers responded in writing to a questionnaire distributed by Ohtani's representatives last week. Now Stearns and the rest of baseball will have to wait to see where Ohtani winds up.
"We have been told we will not proceed," Stearns said in an email. "We wish him the best of luck with his decision."
The Brewers might not have been a favorite to land Ohtani, but they nevertheless made what Stearns believed was a respectable play for his services, responding both in writing and with a multimedia presentation to Ohtani's request for information. From a baseball perspective, he would have been a nice fit for a Milwaukee team that has made acquiring left-handed hitters a priority, and is focused this offseason on adding starting pitching.
"As an organization, we have a lot to offer," Stearns said on Friday.
For Ohtani, it wasn't enough.