The LA Angels Remove Shohei Ohtani from Trade Considerations
Star two-way player Shohei Ohtani from the Los Angeles Angels has been at the center of trade rumors all through the season, but the Angels are choosing to hold onto him.
Ohtani leads the league with 36 home runs and is tied for third with 77 RBI. He's enjoying a spectacular year at the plate with a batting average of .299, on-base percentage of .398, and slugging percentage of .668.
As a pitcher, Ohtani boasts an 8-5 record, an ERA of 3.71, a 1.12 WHIP, and 148 strikeouts. Competitors are batting a mere .195 against him.
In the midst of a hot streak, the Angels (52-49) defeated the struggling New York Yankees and went on a 6-1 run. Currently, the Angels sit four games behind the American League wild card race and among a group of bubble teams.
A report from Sports Illustrated stated that the Angels will not trade Ohtani. The claim was later backed up by ESPN's Buster Olney. Instead, the Angels plan to act as buyers at the upcoming trade deadline, not sellers.
The Angels have already made two moves to strengthen their pitching staff. They acquired right-handed starter Lucas Giolito and right-handed reliever Reynaldo Lopez from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for two minor leaguers. The Angels parted ways with two top prospects, catcher Edgar Quero and left-handed pitcher Ky Bush.
Teams Interested in Ohtani
The trade deadline is next week, and there was a lot of speculation that teams like the New York Mets, New York Yankees, or San Diego Padres would acquire Ohtani from the Angels. Some Yankees fans thought they had a leg up, as Ohtani could help revitalize their season marred by injuries.
Ohtani is approaching the end of his current contract and is expected to fetch the biggest contract in MLB history come off-season. His next contract is estimated to be worth $500 million.
Team owner Arturo Moreno had mentioned that they would consider dealing Ohtani in a trade if the Angels weren't competitive enough for the playoffs.
Mike Trout, a three-time MVP and 11-time All-Star, is currently sidelined with a fractured wrist. Without Trout in the lineup, the Angels drifted out of contention for the AL wild card race, causing the Ohtani trade talks to heat up.
Moreno put an end to the speculation by taking Ohtani off the trading block. The organization believes they can make a push for the wild card spot. They still have 61 games left to turn things around, and Trout is expected to return in mid-August.
Keeping or Trading Ohtani
Ohtani is a once-in-a-generation player and a unique dual-threat star who can excel as a powerful batter at the plate while excelling as a capable starting pitcher. If the Angels want to win their second championship in franchise history, they need to have him on their roster.
The Angels didn't really build a strong team around Ohtani and Trout. Other Southern California teams – the Los Angeles Dodgers and Padres – have made much more significant moves in free agency in recent years. The Angels didn't make any major acquisitions to bolster their team, making Ohtani's departure more likely next season.
The Angels have stated that they want to keep Ohtani on the team moving forward. However, if he leaves in free agency, they'll be criticized for not trading him before the deadline to get back some assets and minor-league prospects.
Ohtani is the front-runner for the AL MVP at -1600 odds. In the beginning of the season, he was listed as the favorite at +200 odds.
Ohtani finished second in last year's MVP voting behind Aaron Judge from the Yankees. He won the AL MVP in 2021 with a career-best 46 home runs and 100 RBI. Ohtani is on pace to tie Judge's AL home run record, which was set last season at 62 home runs.
Betting on the Angels for the Rest of the Season
The Angels currently occupy third place in the AL West with a 52-49 record, behind the first-place Texas Rangers (60-45) and second-place Houston Astros (58-45).
The Angels have +2800 odds to win the AL West, making them the fourth favorite on the MLB futures board. The Rangers are the favorites at -105 odds, followed by the Astros (+100) and Seattle Mariners (+1700).
If the season ended right now, the three AL wild-card teams would be the Tampa Bay Rays (62-43), Astros, and Toronto Blue Jays (57-49).
The Angels are on the cusp of the playoffs with the Boston Red Sox (55-47), Yankees (54-58), Mariners (52-50), and Cleveland Guardians (51-51).
The Angels have a 16.7% chance of making it to the playoffs, according to FanGraphs projections. Their odds of winning the World Series are only 1.0%, and 4.2% of winning the AL West.
The betting world isn't confident in the Angels' ability to reach the playoffs this season. They're listed with +700 odds to clinch a spot, as per DraftKings' prop bets. On the flip side, they're given negative odds (-1000) to miss the postseason.
As far as the big leagues go, the Angels' chances of winning the 2023 World Series are slim at +15000. When it comes to the AL pennant, they're not much better off, with odds of +6500. The last time they won the pennant and the World Series was in 2002.
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