Los Angeles Angels not trading Shohei Ohtani

The Shohei Ohtani trade rumors were fun while they lasted. Now they can be put aside until the offseason.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Los Angeles Angels had at least been listening to offers over the past few days. That is no longer the case, as they have determined that Ohtani will not be going anywhere at the deadline.

Los Angeles Angels make predictable decision with Shohei Ohtani

It should not be much of a surprise that the Angels are not trading Ohtani. Putting a package together for his services would be a difficult task as he is a top of the rotation starter and a middle of the order power threat in one. Not only is he the type of player that we have not seen in decades, but a trade package for him would be unprecedented.

There is also the matter of replacing what Ohtani means at the box office. People will pay attention to the Angels because he is on the roster. Otherwise, the sidelined Mike Trout would be their calling card, and he will not generate interest or ratings while he is on the Injured List.

Those off the diamond considerations will make an impact on any possible trade. While the Angels may need to trade Ohtani in order to build a contending team, this is an organization that has proven year after year that they are far more interested in chasing headlines, at least when it comes to ownership.

Maybe these talks will be revisited in the offseason. There may be more teams interested in Ohtani at that point, and the Angels can always look to add another big name that will not actually improve the roster.

The Los Angeles Angels are hanging on to Shohei Ohtani for the rest of the 2022 season. The offseason may be a different story.