Five reasons why Shohei Ohtani could stay with the Angels

Shohei Ohtani is just different. While the battle rages between supporters of Babe Ruth and Shotime, it is certain that the league has not seen anyone of his caliber for a very long time. Even one of the best pitchers of the past decade, Clayton Kershaw, said he doesn’t think anyone can compare to the Japanese superstar in all of major league history.

Every MLB team is salivating over the idea of signing Shohei Ohtani when he hits free agency next season, but the Los Angeles Angels are intent on keeping their superstar on the books. According to reports, the New York Yankees, New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers are the teams that the dual threat star likes in the upcomoing negotiations.

One school of thought says that the smart money is on the Angels letting Ohtani go this year in the transfer window so as to make the trade pay off. If they let his contract play out until the end of 2024, they may still lose him and they get nothing for it. But not everyone is convinced that this will be how it plays out.

Why might he stay with the Angels?

The first reason is simply that the Los Angeles Angels are unwilling to let Shohei Ohtani go to another AL team, especially a direct rival, before the transfer window ends on August 1st.

Secondly, by keeping Ohtani in house this season and next, it would make it more simple and straightforward to try soft diplomacy, convincing the Japanese star to stay in Anaheim.

The third reason revolves around Ohtani’s hopes. He has made clear that he wants to play for a team capable of winning the championship and the Angels are more competitive than they have been in years. They currently have eight wins in the last 10 games and are closing the distance with the Texas Rangers at the top of the AL West.

The fourth reason is that if they are in any way close to a Wild card spot, the organization might feel that they can’t afford to let Ohtani go. And Ohtani may be swayed by the fans’ outpouring of love and support for him. The Angels average an attendance of 32,000 when they play at home and 30,000 on the road. Shohei is the most electric player in the entire league and fans adore him for it..

The final reason is that Ohtani is, by all accounts, very happy to live in southern California, saying that it feels like home and he does not want to live on the east coast. This would seem to rule out the Yankees and Mets as serious contenders, although you can never say never when these types of deals are on the table. But the fact remains that Ohtani likes the west coast climate and being closer for him to travel to Japan from Los Angeles is a serious draw.

It is speculated that Ohtani will receive the most lucrative contract in the history of the Major Leagues, commanding around $600 million to grace any contract with his signature. His agent has already told the Los Angeles Times that Ohtani will decide his future at the end of the season. Expect it to be very exciting since few teams can pay that amount.