“Don’t count out the Angels.”
With the 2023 trade deadline behind us, it’s no surprise that Shohei Ohtani’s (Los Angeles Angels) 2023-2024 free agency outlook is starting to emerge. The LA Times published an article summarizing their reporters’ conversations over the past four days, and MLB Network’s Jon Heyman gave his take on the same day.
“The Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, and Seattle Mariners are the most likely landing spots for Ohtani. But don’t discount the Angels.” He emphasizes the Angels because he can’t forget what he heard from a source.
“The Angels have yet to make the postseason since Ohtani joined, but he loves it there (the Angels). He feels very comfortable there.” Surprisingly, there are some aspects of his life with the Angels that he is happy with.
The reason we’ve been predicting that Ohtani would leave the Angels is performance. He’s expressed on numerous occasions that he’s sick and tired of the Angels not winning, and the general consensus is that if the Angels don’t make the postseason this season, he’ll sign with a non-Angels organization in free agency.
But according to what this source told Heyman, the Angels still have some hope in free agency. After all, Ohtani is not in favor of leaving the West Coast, and Anaheim is familiar territory. What’s more, the Angels bolstered their mound at the trade deadline, adding Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez.
As Sports Illustrated’s Fan Nation’s Halos Today noted, “The acquisitions of Giolito and Lopez were the clearest signs yet of the Angels’ organizational changes. Gone are the days of the Angels relying on just two superstars (Ohtani and Mike Trout). It will help them win the biggest prize for the foreseeable future. Signing Ohtani to a long-term deal.”카지노사이트
Whether the Angels will make the postseason or not is still anyone’s guess. The odds aren’t in their favor, but it’s a sign to Ohtani that the team has changed. It’s Hallorstoday’s view that this could motivate him. It makes sense.
At the end of the day, it’s all about the money. It’s been said since Ohtani entered the major leagues through the U.S.-Japan posting system that he doesn’t prioritize money. However, there’s also the realism that he’s a first-time free agent, and it’s hard not to think about it. First of all, the market price is the highest in history, at least $600 million. For now, Ohtani is staying with the Angels, but the real battle will be in the fall.