Shohei Ohtani is Ready to Play for a Winning Team
In all six seasons Shohei Ohtani has been in MLB, the Los Angeles Angels have missed the playoffs. They haven’t made the postseason since 2014, and the two-way player’s desire to taste postseason baseball continues to rise.
Ohtani spoke to the media ahead of the All-Star Game in Seattle and was asked about his desire to win. As trade rumors fly and he readies to become a free agent after the season, he set the postseason as his top priority.
“Those feelings get stronger year by year,” Ohtani said through his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. “It sucks to lose. He wants to win, so it gets stronger every year.”
Quote via ESPN
The Angels sit at 45-46, fourth place in the AL West and five games back in the Wild Card race. With the trade deadline approaching, the Angels could and should try to trade Ohtani to a real contender. While the return may be an impossible asking price, teams are going to have to pay big if they want the best player in baseball.
Ohtani leads the majors in home runs (32), triples (6) and slugging percentage (.663) while batting .302. On the pitching side, he has a 3.32 ERA and 132 strikeouts in 100 innings. You can’t put a price on his impact on baseball, but he’ll definitely break the record for the biggest sports contract.
For the Angels, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t try trading Ohtani. I have no idea why they extended Mike Trout instead of shipping him off for a team’s entire farm. They can continue to live in the world of delusion, but the reality is they’re a garbage franchise and won’t win with Ohtani. Owner Arte Moreno lives in the same fantasy land as Milo Coulter does when it comes to the Dodgers: pure delusion.
A year ago, I said the Angels desperately need to rebuild. Nothing has changed, and all they’re doing is giving their fans false hope. Ohtani won’t be an Angel after 2023, and the injury-riddled Trout won’t be able to carry them anymore. Give baseball fans what they deserve, and send Ohtani to a contender at the deadline.
***
SUBSCRIBE to the Vendetta YouTube Channel!
SHOP for Vendetta Merch!
CHECK OUT our Vendetta MLB Content Here!
