The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are in a “strange” dilemma. It’s because of Shohei Ohtani (29). Ohtani is good. The problem is the team. They’re at a trade crossroads. I can see the future, but I can also see the present.
Through 23 days, Ohtani is 5-1 with a 5.05 ERA in 10 games and 59 innings pitched, with 80 strikeouts. As a hitter, he’s batting .281 with 11 home runs, 32 RBIs, six doubles, a .356 on-base percentage, a .524 slugging percentage, and an .880 OPS in 48 games.
It’s a far cry from his MVP season in 2021. However, he’s been outstanding with both pitches this year, as he was last season. In 2022, Ohtani has 15 wins, a 2-2 ERA, 200 strikeouts, and 30 home runs in 30 starts.
He has a new weapon in his arsenal, the sweeper (lateral slider), and his bat is still as hot as ever, invoking the God of Baseball, Babe Ruth, from time to time. He became the first player since Roosevelt to reach 10 wins and 10 home runs in a season, while also striking out 500 and hitting 100 home runs.메이저사이트
In addition to his skills, he has a great personality. He’s also good-looking. He’s one of the best in the history of major league baseball in terms of marketability and star power. The Angels have a player like Otani. You can’t help but smile.
But there are also worries. The question is, “Should we keep him? He’s a free agent after this season. He’s the first player to break the $500 million mark, and there’s talk of $600 million. If you calculate $30 million per year as a pitcher and $30 million per year as a hitter, that’s $600 million for a 10-year contract. That’s about 790 billion won in Korean won. Scary.
The Angels aren’t exactly broke, but they’re unlikely to be able to compete with other big-market teams. There’s no shortage of teams looking for Ohtani. They’ve already spent a lot of money on Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon, so they can afford to spend more.
If the season continues as it is, they will have to sit and let Ohtani go. I’d rather trade him and get a prospect. For a player of his caliber, most team farms can be “flipped”.
Sure, it’s a “half-season rental” and teams may be reluctant to hemorrhage prospects, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a decent prospect for him. If the Angels are willing to make a trade, they’re the obvious choice.
However, given their current situation, it’s hard to see them trading Ohtani. He’s too important to the team. He’s an ace on the mound and bats in the middle of the order.
The team’s record isn’t bad either. They’re 27-23 with a .540 winning percentage. They’re in third place in the American League West. Four games behind first place Texas.
Winning the division isn’t easy. If it’s the wild card race instead, it’s a different story. They’re two games behind third-place Houston. This can be overcome. And with more than 110 games to go, it’s not time to give up on winning the district.
If they want to make a run in the fall, they must have Ohtani. Both of them are the best players on the team. Without him, the Angels’ starting pitching staff would be completely ineffective.
In fact, the Angels started off strong last year and were in first place in the division by mid-May, but a shocking 12-game losing streak shattered their five-game winning percentage and ultimately kept them out of the postseason. There’s no guarantee they’ll follow the same path this year, but it’s hard not to be nervous.
In the U.S., there’s a lot of talk about Ohtani being traded. There’s a lot of “he’s leaving soon” talk. The odds of making the playoffs are also low. FanGraphs has him at 23.6% and Baseball-Reference has him at 10.1%.
If these projections hold true, there’s a good chance Ohtani will hang up his cleats. However, the Angels make all the decisions. It’s up to owner Art Moreno.