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“Would I put up with a 60-homer challenge from another team” PS probability 4% LAA, why not trade Ohtani?

adminJuly 7, 2023

Will LA Angels’ Shohei Ohtani, 29, finish the season with the Angels without being traded after all?

MLB.com reported on July 7 that “Mike Trout probably won’t be back until next month. Maybe even longer. The Angels are coming off a series sweep by San Diego and have lost 11 of their last 15 games. What does all this mean for Ohtani’s future? Nothing,” he said, dismissing the possibility of a trade for Ohtani.

Ohtani is having one of his best seasons as a hitter this year, batting 29-for-69 (334-for-99) with 31 homers, 68 RBIs and a 1.033 OPS in 87 games, and as a pitcher, going 7-4 with a 3.32 ERA in 17 games (100 1/3 innings). He is on pace to win his second career MVP award after unanimously winning the American League MVP in 2021.

However, even with Ohtani’s performance, the Angels’ postseason prospects are looking increasingly bleak this season. Despite a 45-44 record and a .506 winning percentage, the Angels are only third in the American League West and sixth in the wild-card race. They are 3.5 games behind the Yankees and Toronto (48-40) for the third wild-card spot. The Angels have just a 3.7 percent chance of making the postseason, according to postseason odds provided by FanGraphs.먹튀검증

Ohtani is eligible for free agency after this season. The general consensus is that a contract worth more than $500 million is already locked up, the first in Major League Baseball history. Realistically, signing Ohtani to an extension isn’t going to be easy, and there’s been a lot of talk that the Angels should trade him.

As MLB.com notes, “Few in baseball believe that the Angels’ precipitous fall from grace will allow them to trade Ohtani before the trade deadline. Of course, the prospect of acquiring young talent is appealing. If the Angels continue to underperform, they could discuss trade scenarios with other teams. But it’s one thing to request a trade from the ownership group and quite another to get it approved. If the Angels are going to trade Ohtani, they should have done it last year when he was lower in the standings and had a longer remaining contract.”

MLB.com wrote: “Even if the Angels don’t make the postseason, it’s worth keeping Ohtani on the roster until he hits free agency. Every time he takes the field, he brings in a significant number of viewers. With that comes marketing revenue and sponsorships, and he has a very good chance of winning a second MVP award. Ohtani leads the major leagues in home runs with 31 and could challenge for 60 later in the season. If you’re an Angels fan or a member of the organization, you can’t imagine him doing that in a different uniform, which is why it’s unlikely he’ll be traded.”

[Photo] Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. ⓒGettyimages (All rights reserved)

When Ohtani does become a free agent, he will likely consider not only the size of his contract, but also the strength of a team that can consistently make the postseason and challenge for a World Series title. “The Angels can silence trade rumors by winning more games, but it won’t be easy,” said MLB.com, noting that the Angels will have their work cut out for them.

However, MLB.com emphasized that the Angels have already benefited greatly from the addition of Ohtani. “When Ohtani came to the Angels in December 2017, he was the cheapest signing in professional sports history due to the International Amateur Rule. What he’s done since then is something no one else has done. The Angels have long since gotten their full value from this partnership,” he said.