Here’s why Angels star Shohei Ohtani is going nowhere

MLB’s trade deadline is almost here and with that a slew of potentially block buster deals. Yet, there won’t be any bigger than the potential outcome that faces Angels star Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani is a true star, but what’s the low down?

In a matter of days, we will all know who’s going where and for what in return. When the dust settles on yet another MLB trade period, there will likely be a few high-profile names on a few different rosters. There is, however, one name in particular that’s likely to draw more attention than all others and that’s the Angels’ two-way sensation, Shoehei Ohtani. The Japanese star is arguably the best player in the league and in reality, could only be reasonably traded for a player of equal quality, of which there’s really only one - possibly - and that’s Juan Soto of the Nationals. Incidentally, Soto is also expected to be on the move.

Should both players remain with their respective teams, then expect to see them doing so until they get to free agency. That’s to say, that their present value is as high as it will ever be which means that should a team actually manage to acquire either one right here and now, they would be securing them for at least two campaigns. Ohtani will become a free agent following the next season, while Soto will hit the market after 2024. To be clear, if both players stay put and their teams don’t invest heavily in building around them, then it will be a loss for all involved.

Is Shohei Ohtani really going to be traded? Probably not

When all is said and done, the Angels likely won’t trade Ohtani. Indeed, though there has been talk of the Dodgers making contact about a deal, it remains highly unlikely that they will be able to arrive at one. While that may seem like good news on the surface, the catch is that the Angels probably won’t make the playoffs in the coming season. Why you ask? To be frank, Angels owner Arte Moreno appears to be interested only in filling stadium seats rather than winning games. With the biggest star in the league at present and a track record of signing show stoppers like Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon, Justin Upton, Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton, the franchise has definitely found success in terms of marketing, merchandising and gate revenue. On the other hand, there is one that remains most important in any sport and that’s the one thing the Angels have been failing to do: win.

This brings us to the crux of the matter. Though the Angels have apparently promoted the idea that they’re open to trading Ohtani, the reality is that there are no reasonable trade packages on offer in the market. Add to that, the idea that the team’s owner has a love affair with star power and one has to admit, a trade doesn’t seem to fit the narrative. Lastly, you’ve got Ohtani’s coming free agency in a year’s time. Is it reasonable to believe that Moreno would voluntarily opt of squeezing the very last cent out of Ohtani’s crowd pulling power? Not so much.