Last Updated on 08/25/2022 by てんしょく飯
On August 23, Arte Moreno (76), the owner of the Angels, of which Shohei Ohtani (28) is a member, announced his intention to consider selling the team, and the aftermath of this dramatic shock is spreading. The primary concern of the U.S. media and Japanese and American fans is the effect on Otani’s departure. Will he be traded or will he stay with the team with a huge contract extension? CBS Sports, which claims that a trade is likely, has even listed the teams to which Otani would be assigned in that case.
The basis for the leading trade theory: “The Angels, with their low farm development rating, need a young prospect in exchange.”
The Angels would either trade him or sign him to a large multi-year contract this offseason and remain with the team. Following the news that the Angels were considering selling the team, the U.S. media reported a variety of opinions regarding Ohtani’s future.
MLB’s official website reported on the trade theory with the following rationale.
The MLB’s official website reported the following rationale for the trade: “There is a possibility that the two-sport superstar will be on the trade market this winter. （Given the state of the team’s farm system, which is ranked 30th in the MLB Pipeline, and the fact that Ohtani is one year away from free agency, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Angels trade him for a number of young prospects.
He believes that a trade of Otani for several young prospects is realistic because of the problems with the development of young players in the Angels’ farm organization. He continued, “The consideration of selling the team may be as much a factor (in a possible trade) as the possibility that the new owners would want a big contract extension with Ohtani.”
The New York Post combined the trade theory with the theory of the team staying with a team that will sign a large contract this offseason.
The New York Post combined the two theories: “The new owners could decide to pay Ohtani $500 million to stay. Perhaps the new owner can convince Otani that the team is headed in a new direction,” and also emphasized the possibility of staying.
It was CBS Sports that took the headline, “Trade Possibility May Increase,” and put up the leading theory of a trade.
The media outlet excused the question of whether the new owners would agree to trade one of the best players in baseball, and then developed the reasons why a trade was more likely.
The rival teams [that had approached us about acquiring Ohtani] thought the biggest hurdle to trading him would be Moreno’s approval. If we lose that guy, the odds of a trade in the offseason will increase.”
In the in-season trade market, which was set to expire on August 2, the Angels were inundated with offers for the two-tool star, whose chances of making the postseason were slim. Some in the front office were of the opinion that they would be willing to listen to the four leading young players, but in the end, the trade for Ohtani was sealed because Moreno, the owner of the club who “gives money but also talks,” did not fire the deal. However, the owner, Moreno, who is a “payer but a talker,” did not fire him in the end, and the trade for Otani was sealed. That is the view.
Ohtani will become a free agent next offseason. If he does not sign a long-term contract, he will be subject to salary arbitration, and his salary is said to be as high as $25 million and as low as $35 million. Since the team already has large contracts for Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon, and others, the expectation is that “a new large contract with Ohtani may be avoided” in order to secure funds to rebuild a team that has been on a losing streak for six consecutive years and is in fourth place in the district this season.
The media outlet cited the example of the Nationals, who have also announced their intention to sell, releasing Juan Soto, who needed a huge contract, to the Padres in the middle of this season.
It is extremely important that Ohtani finally has a say in where he plays after next season. He has said publicly that his top priority is to win games, and the Angels may be far from the ideal team he is looking for. The media, which has been the main source of speculation about a possible trade, also suggested that the Angels may be “three and a half years away” from the ideal team he seeks.
The media outlet, which has a strong trade theory, has already listed five teams as possible destinations. The Dodgers, who have a strong financial position and, like the Angels, are based in Los Angeles, were ranked first on the list.
The Dodgers have been enamored with Otani since the day he tried to sign with them out of high school. In the end, Ohtani chose to play in Japan (Nippon Ham), but the Dodgers have no qualms about it. Andrew Friedman, the head of the organization, knows how to get big trades done, and his premier player development organization is well-positioned to offer the Angels top-class young players in exchange.
Second are the Mets. The Mets currently lead the National League East and have the financial resources to do so.
The Mets have a lot in their favor. Owner Steve Cohen will be willing to once again invest big money in top-talent players, as he has moved in the past. GM Billy Eppler was an executive (of the Angels) when Ohtani first signed with the Angels. And the Mets have several great young players that the Angels might be looking for.”
The third was the Cardinals, “When the Soto trade was made, the Cardinals remained one of the final candidates to move on. The Cardinals have the top young prospects at two positions, and in the past, they have been aggressive in their trades. If Ohtani is serious about winning above all else, settling down in St. Louis for a long time might not be a bad idea,” he analyzed.
Fourth was the prestigious Yankees.
The fourth was the prestigious Yankees, “It’s hard to read the Yankees’ intentions. The question is whether the Yankees are willing to give up the young prospects they are looking for to make a trade,” he said. The fifth and final team is the Rangers.
Fifth and final is the Rangers. The Rangers are currently home to former teammate Kohei Arihara, but even during Yu Darvish’s tenure with the team, they have failed to become the best in the world and have been on a losing streak for five straight years.
There are several teams that might come up this winter with rumors related to Ohtani, and I’d like to include the Rangers as a wild-card team in that list. With owner Ray Davis and GM Chris Young having fired manager Jon Daniels, they may execute another flashy move to add Ohtani to the team.”
It seems certain that Ohtani’s departure, including the Angels’ sale destination, will be the biggest focus of this offseason’s Stove League.
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