Let us all sit back and enjoy Shohei Ohtani doing his thing. The more we watch him, the better he gets. At the plate, he’s absolutely raking. Batting north of .300, Shohei holds a comfortable lead on the home run leaderboard as he’s launched 35 long balls. Despite having a few rocky starts this month on the mound, we know what Shohei can do with his Cy Young-caliber arm. He’s the best baseball player many of us will lay eyes on.
That said, his looming free agency is blanketing the MLB landscape. His contract estimates have surpassed half a billion dollars, with a bidding war among baseball’s wealthiest franchises already lining up. The Angels don’t fit in the mix of those ballclubs, and that, combined with LA’s struggles to make the playoffs, Ohtani looks like he’ll be finding a new home in 2024. Should the Angels milk everything they can out of Shohei in the short-term, grasping onto their slim playoff chances, or deal him now in a trade that could be the most significant return in the sport? It remains to be seen, but a week and a half of rumors and speculation await.
OutlookThe Angels are 4.5 games back from the final wild-card spot in the AL, but after losing seven of their last ten, their chances are getting slimmer in a loaded AL West. Like every year, the Halos are always optimistic about their postseason chances, but these next two series will be crucial in determining the August 1st deadline. Upcoming series against Pittsburgh and Detroit could potentially allow the Angels to win a few games and improve morale, but if they don’t, then what? They very well could force their hand.
The Halos have too many holes and not a deep enough farm system to try and be deadline buyers to keep Shohei happy. Their starting rotation stinks, as Ohtani is the only one with an ERA below 4.10. The offense has dipped with Mike Trout still weeks away from returning, and many other bats are not playing at a playoff caliber. The only way this team continues to flirt with the playoffs is with Shohei putting the entire roster on his back, but the man can’t do much more than he’s already doing. The AL will be an arms race at the trade deadline, so if the Angels don’t decide to go all in, they might as well sell off.
What Are The Most Likely Trade Destinations For Ohtani?
VerdictFor the future outlook of the franchise, the Angels need to deal Shohei. Trading away the most talented baseball player ever stings in the biggest ways, but the Angels have themselves to blame. They crashed their Ferrari, failing to fit it with adequate tires. Their chances of returning Shohei if they ultimately fall short of the postseason would be slim to none. With trade suitors ready to present huge packages, the Angels must take the calls. Returning multiple top-100 hundred prospects at least gives the organization hope down the line, whereas Shohei leaving in the winter for nothing would become the biggest failure in franchise history.
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