Tom Verducci of ‘Sports Illustrated (SI)’ reported exclusively that the Los Angeles Angels are withdrawing from Shohei Ohtani’s trade and aiming to advance to the postseason. The Angels were negative about the trade for Ohtani until ‘signboard hitter’ Mike Trout was still alive and the postseason potential was alive. No matter what happened, he was firm enough to declare that there would be no trade. However, it did not take long for this trend to change.
The Angels changed their stance to receive inquiries about the trade for Ohtani as their performance plummeted as most of their key players went to the disabled list (IL), including Trout suffering a fractured bone. After this news was delivered, the major leagues became very heated with news related to Ohtani’s trade every day. In particular, even certain clubs have been mentioned recently. John Morosi of the ‘MLB Network’ quoted a source on the 25th and said, “Discussions on the sale and purchase of Ohtani are still ongoing within the Angels. Teams inquiring about the possibility of Ohtani’s trade include the Baltimore Orioles and Arizona Diamondbacks. Both teams have young prospects that can be useful to trade.”
The trade deadline was set for the 2nd of next month, but the specific timing was also mentioned. “It’s likely that club officials will wait until after the series between the Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays to determine their intention to trade Ohtani,” Morosi explained. 안전놀이터 However, if ‘SI’ Tom Verducci’s reports are accurate, the Angels will not trade Ohtani after all. On the 27th, citing a source, Verducci said, “Ohtani has withdrawn from the trade market. After receiving Ohtani’s trade offer over the past two days and conducting internal discussions, the Azels have decided to become a ‘buyer’ ahead of the trade deadline.” This seems to be the background that the Angels are riding a good rise again recently.
The Angels’ win rate fell below 40% before the All-Star break, but after the second half started, they are on the rise again with a 52-49 win rate of 0.515 before the game on the 27th. Currently, the Angels have a considerable gap with the Texas Rangers, who are in first place in the American League West, and the Houston Astros, who are in second place, but they seem to be greedy for advancing into the postseason by returning with a win rate of more than 50%.
“General manager Perry Minassian will focus on adding a starter and reliever before the trade deadline, and expects Trout to return in mid-August,” said Verducci. There are five days left until the major league trade deadline. Another variable may occur, but if Verducci’s report is accurate, the Angels are expected to reinforce their power and aim for a postseason advance. Will the last trip between Ohtani and the Angels have a happy ending?