The possibility of a trade for two-hitting “baseball genius” Shohei Ohtani, 29, of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, has been around for a while, but it’s gaining traction this season as his contract with the Angels expires.메이저사이트
The trade speculation has been fueled by the Angels’ struggles as a team.
Despite having Ohtani and one of the best hitters in the game in Mike Trout, the Angels haven’t played fall ball since 2014. Ohtani broke into Major League Baseball (MLB) in the 2018 season, but hasn’t played in the postseason since.
In MLB, it’s not uncommon for teams that struggle to make the postseason to trade away key players for prospects to build for the future.
That’s why it’s been speculated that the Angels, who continue to miss the postseason, could look to the trade market for their future.
With the possibility constantly being raised, Angels owner Arte Moreno has publicly stated on multiple occasions that the team will not trade Ohtani. In the middle of last month, he emphasised that “the Angels’ goal is to reach the postseason with Ohtani”.
Currently in fourth place in the American League West with 45 wins and 46 losses, the Angels are not out of the postseason picture. They are seven games behind the division-leading Texas Rangers.
Despite the owner’s declaration, interest in trading Ohtani remains high.
This time, reports have surfaced that the New York Yankees, a big-market club, are active in trading Ohtani.
According to ESPN’s MLB beat writer Buster Olney, “The Yankees are the most willing to trade Ohtani. If Ohtani is traded, the Yankees are the most likely destination,” he said, citing the Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays as possible suitors.
The Yankees are motivated to trade Ohtani because they are in the midst of a championship run, Olney explained.
“The Yankees have Gerrit Cole, Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton. They’re in their prime right now,” Olney said. “This is the time for the Yankees to win a championship.”
This season’s trade deadline is next month on the 1st of April. Expect to hear more about Ohtani’s trade in the days leading up to the deadline.