Shohei Ohtani (29, Los Angeles Angels) is one of the most talked about traders in recent years. After completing the 2023 season, he becomes eligible as a free agent (FA), and his frequency with the Angels is increasing as his contract expires.
It has to do with team performance. Ohtani’s team, the Angels, has not been able to make it to the postseason even though Ohtani and Mike Trout, the best hitter in the Major League (MLB), are in possession. Ohtani has never experienced fall baseball since joining the Angels in late 2017.
Typically, in MLB, teams that are unlikely to make it to the postseason look to the future with a strategy of giving up key players and receiving prospects.
The Angels, who are framed as a team in the lower end of the year, are also under pressure from the local media that they have to trade Ohtani for sale every year.
Above all, Ohtani will become a free agent메이저놀이터 after this season. Locals believe that Ohtani is unlikely to remain with the Angels.
If the Angels accompany Ohtani to the end this season and send him to another team as a free agent, there is nothing they can get other than a draft pick. That is why there is a constant talk about sending Ohtani to another team and getting a prospect package to prepare for the future.
However, it is ultimately up to the owner to decide whether or not the trade is successful. Angels owner Arte Moreno has publicly stated on several occasions that he will not trade Ohtani. Rather, after the season, he even shows confidence that he can sign a free agent contract with Ohtani.
The fact that he has not yet abandoned his hopes of advancing to the postseason also adds strength to Moreno’s owner’s no-trade policy. The Angels are currently in fourth place in the American League West. It is 7 games away from the leading Texas Rangers. The various added values that can be obtained from Ohtani cannot be ignored.
Nevertheless, the Ohtani trade is still a ‘hot potato’. Locals believe that he could change his uniform ‘surprisingly’ during the season.
On the 14th, MLB.com said, “The New York Yankees are most motivated to trade Ohtani,” and “The Angels will receive countless questions about the possibility of a trade as the trade deadline approaches. The Houston Astros and others could be candidates.”
All three teams are strong enough to challenge for the premiership.
Then why did you pick the Yankees as a priority? Again, it’s because of the ‘possibility of winning’.
The media emphasized, “The Yankees have several players who are in the prime of their careers, such as Gerrit Cole, Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton. Now is the right time for the Yankees to win.” If Ohtani joins the Yankees, which have a lot of superstars, the chances of winning will naturally increase.
As such, rumors related to Ohtani are expected to continue until the trade deadline. It is difficult to predict what will happen in the future. The MLB trade deadline is August 1, Korean time.
The fact that he has not yet abandoned his hopes of advancing to the postseason also adds strength to Moreno’s owner’s no-trade policy. The Angels are currently in fourth place in the American League West. It is 7 games away from the leading Texas Rangers. The various added values that can be obtained from Ohtani cannot be ignored.