Did Dave Roberts Just Cost The Dodgers Their Shot At Shohei Ohtani?

The Shohei Ohtani free agency has been cloaked in secrecy, with teams reportedly terrified to release information out of fear that it'll be held against them.

READ: THE SHOHEI OHTANI FREE AGENCY SITUATION SOUNDS LIKE A BIT OF A MESS, AND ALSO MAY BE WRAPPING UP

But all that got blown up in dramatic fashion on Tuesday, thanks to Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. Most teams have steadfastly refused to comment on alleged Ohtani meetings or discussions, and up until late Tuesday afternoon, so had the Dodgers. Roberts didn't just let the cat out of the bag though, he yanked it out.

"I like to be honest," Roberts said to a group of reporters from the winter meetings. "Yeah, we met with Shohei, we talked. And I think it went well. I think it went well. But at the end of the day, he's his own man. And he's going to do what's best for himself, where he feels most comfortable."

The meeting took place "a couple days ago" and Roberts also admitted "Shohei's our top priority."

Hard to get less secretive than that.

Roberts' honesty was admirable, in a process that's been infuriatingly short on details. But other Dodger officials didn't seem to be thrilled with his candor and willingness to admit to an Ohtani meeting.

ANAHEIM, CA - Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani stands at the plate during an MLB baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays played on April 7 at Angel Stadium. (Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Shohei Ohtani Decision Supposedly Rests On Secrecy

Recently, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that teams interested in Ohtani had been informed that leaks would be held against them as he weighs his decision. But uh, can Roberts directly addressing the meeting and discussion be counted as a leak?

Given Passan's report, it'd seem as if Roberts' honesty may have taken the Dodgers out of the running for the most important free agent in the history of baseball. That could sound like an overreaction; Roberts wouldn't have said anything publicly if he wasn't allowed to, right?

But a few other team executives and a media report indicate that it may have been as big a mistake as it seems. General manager Brandon Gomes said that he was "surprised" that Roberts commented on the meeting. He also specifically declined to talk more about it, "It's just not something I'm gonna talk about right now," Gomes said.

USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported that Roberts "huddled with" PR officials after his media huddle.

"Roberts spoke freely and relaxed for 20 minutes," Nightengale said. "But his face became serious as he spent several moments reading a text message on his phone after his session. He immediately huddled with Dodgers public relations officials."

That doesn't sound great!

For his part, Roberts said he doesn't like lying, acknowledging the meeting would have leaked regardless.

"I don't feel like lying is something that I do," Roberts said. "I was asked a question, and to be forthright in the situation, we kept it quiet. But I think it's going to come out at some point that we met. It obviously already has. I don't think myself or anybody in our organization would like to lie about it."

Would This Really Change The Decision?

If Ohtani really does go elsewhere because of Roberts' comments, it'd be an absurd overreaction to a completely innocuous discussion. Everyone knows that the Dodgers were interested in signing Ohtani; beyond their previous interest, they're among the wealthiest teams in the sport and cleared payroll the past two off-seasons.

It's fair for Ohtani to want his privacy, but acknowledging that a meeting took place is wildly different than going into detail on what was discussed.

Ohtani's camp may view leaks as an indication that teams might not give him the leeway he and they want over the flow of information on him during the season. But that level of secrecy and control isn't likely to be possible regardless of where he signs.

Who knows though, maybe that won't be with the Dodgers because of what the team's manager said Tuesday.