Los Angeles Angels should reconsider Shohei Ohtani trade stance

It should not come as any surprise that teams have inquired about Shohei Ohtani’s availability. The Los Angeles Angels are likely to miss the postseason yet again despite the presence of baseball’s most glorious unicorn on the roster. It is another wasted season for a team that has known its fair share of them since 2014.

At the same time, it is not a surprise that the Angels are refusing to consider trading Ohtani at this point. It is virtually impossible to put a value on him from a prospect standpoint as he is both an ace caliber pitcher and a game changing middle of the order bat. He is the type of player that teams dream of.

Los Angeles Angels need to face reality with Shohei Ohtani

The problem is that the Angels are running out of time with Ohtani. He is entering his final year of arbitration and will be a free agent at the end of the 2023 campaign. Extension talks have gone nowhere at this point, especially as Ohtani has stated a desire to win. While he has said the right things regarding the Angels and his future, that desire to win a championship could push him out the door.

The Angels also have to figure out if they can afford him from a financial standpoint. They have $106.7 million in guaranteed contracts for just five players in 2024, with $75.7 million of that money going to Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon. Ohtani could find himself easily earning over $40 million a year, leaving the Angels to pay more than $110 million to three players. Considering the numerous holes on their roster, that could be more than they can afford.

That is going to be the biggest concern. The Angels do not have a farm system that they can rely upon to supplement the roster with inexpensive talent. Arte Moreno is also not going to go beyond the luxury tax in an effort to improve the roster enough to reach the postseason with those players taking up so much of their salary.

If the Angels are to trade Ohtani, this would be the time. As he still has that extra year of team control remaining, he is at his most valuable on the trade market now. That is especially the case as he has improved over last season, when his dominance on both sides of the ball made him the easy choice as AL MVP.

He would also command an absolutely incredible return. While there is plenty of speculation as to what the Nationals would get for Juan Soto, Ohtani could make those offers seem minuscule in comparison. It could be the type of return that would chance the Angels’ fortunes and give them a chance to return to the playoffs. The problem is that they would lose the player that generates so much interest in the franchise. At times, that seems to matter more than winning to Moreno.

The Los Angeles Angels are refusing to trade Shohei Ohtani. If they want to win in the near future, they may need to change their minds.