Shohei Ohtani was once again the focal point of the MLB All-Star Game, both because of his immense talent and also as his free agency hovers over the Los Angeles Angels front office and sport as a whole.
After initially signing with the Angels as an international free agent in December 2017, but limited to the amount he could receive because of age and collective bargaining agreement restrictions, Ohtani agreed to a one-year, $30 million contract for the 2023 season to avoid arbitration.
That left him on track to become a free agent this winter and further fueled speculation the Angels would ultimately consider an Ohtani trade at the August 1 deadline.
Despite suggesting otherwise over recent weeks while they remained contenders, it now appears the Angels are at least going to be willing to field Ohtani trade offers, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network:
As I reported on @mlb Network this morning, sources tell me the Angels front office will consider incoming trade inquiries for Shohei Ohtani. The club is not ruling out the possibility of a deadline deal, even though the standard to move Ohtani is extraordinarily high. The team’s performance over the upcoming homestand will be a big consideration in the Angels’ ultimate course. At this point, many in the industry still view a trade as unlikely.
When Angels general manager Perry Minasian implied last month that the team would keep Ohtani and make a postseason push, they were 41-34 and on track to earn a Wild Card berth.
However, a rash of injuries have set in since then and the Angels began their second half with a loss, now sitting at 45-47. They come out of the All-Star break with two tough matchups against the Houston Astros and New York Yankees.
If the Angels do shop Ohtani, they would have no shortage of suitors. He would immediately become the best pitcher and hitter on the market, which would bring back a significant return for the Angels despite his status as rental.
Should the Angels sell Shohei Ohtani at the deadline?
The Angels are in a difficult position because trading a player of Ohtani’s caliber has never been done before. They posses arguably the greatest baseball player of all-time on their roster, and another generational talent in Mike Trout, but they have yet to make the playoffs with both of them on the roster.
The Angels could go all-in now to make one more push, which risks their future, or they could sell and look ahead to what’s next by accepting their failure. Either way, there’s probably no correct call for Minasian.
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