The Los Angeles Angels are keeping the door open for a trade of Shohei Ohtani.바카라
Major League Baseball’s official website has been providing daily updates on the most sought-after players ahead of the trade deadline next month. “The decision to trade Ohtani may not be finalised until the last minute,” the website said on the 21st.
MLB Network reporter John Paul Morosi also quoted a source as saying, “The Angels’ decision on whether to trade Ohtani could come 24 to 48 hours before the deadline.”
While the Angels front office is now saying that the door is open to trading Ohtani, the actual trade will depend on the Angels’ performance at the trade deadline.
The Angels went a disastrous 1-10 in their final 11 games of the first half of the season, erasing even their five-game winning percentage. After snapping a four-game losing streak, they finished the first half with five straight losses and dropped six straight to start the second half, including a 5-7 loss to the Houston Astros. In the meantime, the Angels had fallen out of the top five in the American League wild-card race.
However, since snapping the six-game losing streak, they have bounced back with a 4-1 record in their last five games. They swept a three-game series with the New York Yankees from 18-20 April. The Angels are 49-48 through 21 games, trailing Houston by 4.5 games for the third American League wild card. Postseason tickets are awarded to the third wild card in each league.
This means that the Angels will wait to see how they perform in their remaining eight games (against the Detroit Tigers, Toronto Blue Jays, and Atlanta Braves) before the trade deadline two days from now, and if their chances of making the postseason are virtually gone, they will be willing to deal Ohtani.
Ohtani is a major league unicorn.
Ohtani is leading the majors in home runs this year.
Ohtani, who is eligible for free agency at the end of this season, is a coveted trade piece for any team looking to win a championship this year, and the Angels are likely to be able to put together the pieces they need in a short negotiation period.
However, the above website states that “Angels President Art Moreno appears to be looking for reasons not to trade Ohtani. According to a longstanding source, Moreno is hesitant to trade Ohtani because of what he means to the franchise on and off the field and at the box office.”
“A team that wants Ohtani would have to spend similar to what the San Diego Padres gave up to get Juan Soto and Josh Bell from the Washington Nationals last year. San Diego had to bleed five MLB Pipeline top-100 prospects and veteran Luke Voit to get the two players.
Ohtani to hit.