The Los Angeles Angels have arguably the two best baseball players on the planet on their roster, yet neither Shohei Ohtani nor Mike Trout has ever won a Major League Baseball playoff game.
That lack of success, especially if continues throughout the 2023 campaign, could prompt Ohtani to depart the organization, as the superstar is set to become a free agent this offseason.
MLB insider Jeff Passan, while appearing Thursday on ESPN’s “Get Up,” expressed just that.
” … If the Angels fall out of contention, and if it’s just more of the same as it’s been over the last five years that he’s been there, he could be traded, and he will definitely leave,” Passan said regarding Ohtani, as transcribed by Bleacher Report.
Passan also speculated the Angels could opt to trade Ohtani prior to the Aug. 1 deadline, hinting it would be more likely should LA fall out of playoff contention. The Angels have not been to the postseason in eight years, finishing third or fourth in the American League West every season since Ohtani arrived before the 2018 campaign.
“There’s one number that we need to be looking at when it comes to Shohei Ohtani’s future, and that is the Los Angeles Angels’ record, because as long as the Angels are in contention, as long as the Angels have hope for a playoff spot, Shohei Ohtani’s probably not going to be traded at the deadline this year,” Passan said.
Ohtani, baseball’s unicorn who has starred as both a starting pitcher and designated hitter, is expected to earn a record contract this offseason, with absurd estimates already being speculated.
