The Angels Have Yet To Rule Out Trading For Ohtani Entirely
Moving superstar Shohei Ohtani away isn’t entirely out of the question, as the Angels are slipping away from AL West postseason contention.
Moving superstar Shohei Ohtani away isn’t entirely out of the question, as the Angels are slipping away from AL West postseason contention.
It’s a potential transaction that several MLB front offices are considering, with the trade deadline of August 1 less than a month away, including most likely the Giants, who some see as a competitive contender for the two-way superstar.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post’s story on Thursday, the Angels are saying, “they will ‘know a lot more in the next two or three weeks’ regarding their plans” to trade Ohtani.
Before the 2023 MLB season, Los Angeles wouldn’t move Ohtani, according to Perry Minasian, the general manager of the Angels. And according to Heyman, Moreno was “dead-set against a trade” at the deadline in last summer’s trade season.
However, the Angels are now 3 1/2 games behind the AL’s third and final wild-card slot and 6 1/2 games off the lead in the division.
After their second superstar, Mike Trout, shattered his hamate bone earlier this week, Los Angeles has gone 15-17 since June 1. Things aren’t getting better now. While this is happening, the Giants, only 2 1/2 games down in the NL West standings, have gone 19-12 over the same period and are mounting a postseason push.
Ohtani has a 7-4 record in 2023, a 3.32 ERA, 132 strikeouts, and 31 home runs while slashing.296/.383/.650 at the plate.
Ohtani is expected to become a free agent this winter. Still, the Giants have fielded an intriguing mix of rookies and veterans this season who unquestionably could use the hitting, pitching titan down the stretch. Furthermore, San Francisco may find life simpler once the free-agency bidding for Ohtani starts since he spent a few months in the Bay.
“Folks still have a hard time imagining owner Arte Moreno trading the game’s best current player, and maybe the best ever, even if he’s somehow convinced they have no chance to re-sign him.”
“Even so, the Angels people seem to be leaving open the slight possibility of an Ohtani blockbuster.”
Jon Heyman wrote
Thoughts of signing a superstar have recently plagued the Giants franchise and their supporters, which may be wishful thinking.
But it’s worth going all out when a player with Ohtani’s skill may be on the market.
