MLB rumors: Former manager thinks Shohei Ohtani stays and Angels build around him

A new MLB rumor around Shohei Ohtani sparked by Joe Maddon suggests the Los Angeles Angels may buy around him to go all in for 2023.

According to Joe Maddon, former Los Angeles Angels skipper who appeared on the show “MLB Now,” he suggests they may be buyers at the trade deadline around Shohei Ohtani rather than sell him for prospects.

He first states this will first make them a true contender this year in a big push over the final two months of the season to make a strong quest for the playoffs. This would be exciting for baseball fans. Are we not all desperate to see him and Mike Trout in the postseason?

Secondly, he believes it is also a tactic of the front office to lure him into signing an extension with the team long-term since it shows they are ready and willing to do whatever it takes to win now.

A recent surge this week may have tipped the scales in their favor to attempt to win with him rather than focus on the years ahead. In their past two series, the Angels showcased a winning vibe under tough rumor mill circulation around their team.

They swept the New York Yankees at home in a pivotal series that may have decided both teams’ fate in whether they would be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline. It has been well-documented, most recently by our own Kevin Henry, that the New York Yankees are uncertain of where they stand as the deadline approaches.

In their last series, they won two of three against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates have been no rollover as in years past with their mix of veteran and young dynamic players. Once again, another quality series win for Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Angels attempting to prove they are contenders.

If indeed the Los Angeles Angels do decide to buy, it would make sense they believe they can outpace other American League teams for the final Wild Card spots. It is hard to imagine they will pass both the Houston Astros that sit 5.5 games in front and the AL West division leader Texas Rangers that sit another 1.0 game ahead of them.

They are postponed on Wednesday night against the Detroit Tigers, but will be making up that game on Thursday as part of a double-header. Currently they sit 3.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot.

Each passing day is one day closer to a big decision for the direction of their franchise. As part of the latest MLB rumors, Joe Maddon believes they are pushing their chips all in for 2023.