Last Updated on 11/04/2022 by てんしょく飯
Shohei Ohtani (28) signed a one-year, $30 million (approx. 4.396 billion yen) contract with the Angels for next season, the highest annual salary for a Japanese major leaguer.
However, in the United States, there are still rumors that Ohtani, who will become a free agent next offseason, will be transferred to the Angels.
The official website of MLB stated, “There is a big possibility that he will be traded this offseason or in the middle of next season. The Bleacher Report, a U.S. sports media outlet, ranked him first out of 25 players who are likely to be traded next season. Why is Ohtani the most likely trade candidate? It is because the team has missed the playoffs for eight straight years.
Since the current owner mentioned the possibility of selling the team, names such as J. Ray Cobb, owner of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, and P. Soon-Shiong, owner of the Los Angeles Times, have been mentioned as potential new owners. Japanese companies also mentioned include Masayoshi Son of Softbank and Hiroshi Mikitani of Rakuten Group. However, none of this is beyond the realm of speculation. Who the new owner will be will determine whether Otani will remain with the team after FA. Since that is unclear, it is said that a trade could happen.
Another factor is the Angels’ thin lineup. This season, the Angels have suffered a number of injuries, including the team’s main gunner M. Trout (31), who is the face of the team. There were no young players who could fill the void. As evidence of this, the Angels ranked last among the 30 teams on the MLB’s official website, which ranks farm organizations according to how many promising players they have. That is why the reporter said, “The only shortcut to rebuilding is to get Otani out and acquire a lot of promising young players.
The only way to rebuild the team is to reinforce the team with FA, but there is a limit to the amount of money that can be spent. So, it is more realistic to trade Otani and acquire many promising players. Bleacher Report suggested that the Rangers, who are in the same division as the Yankees, should make a trade of five promising youngsters for Otani.
Who are the candidates for the trade?
The Dodgers, based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers are ranked second in the farm organization rankings behind the Orioles, and they have a number of youngsters that other teams would like to have, including promising young prospect B. Miller.
Another candidate is the New York Yankees. The team situation is relevant here. Because A. Judge, who hit 62 homers this season, will become a free agent. If they lose him and get Otani, the team and fans will be satisfied.
It is a win-win situation for the Angels, as they rebuild their team and Otani gets his long-awaited move to a powerhouse team.
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