Shohei Ohtani Trade Rumors: MLB expert believes Los Angeles Angels taking a big 'organizational gamble' by keeping the two-way phenom
While the Los Angeles Angels have been busy in the market over the last couple of days ahead of the trade deadline, they have removed Shohei Ohtani from the market and confirmed their plans to stick with him till the end of the season.
It is no doubt a statment of intent from the Angels, gambling on a postseason spot, something they haven't achieved since 2014. One MLB analyst believes that it is a huge risk and questions whether it will be worth it for the LA team in the long run.
Shohei Ohtani is no doubt the biggest baseball player in the world right now and his imminent free agency has been a part of the headlines since the beggining of the season. When the trade deadline started approaching with the Angels still out of a postseasons spot, many believed that the time was ripe to trade Ohtani for multiple players as the Japanese star looks unlikely to re-sign with them.
However, owner Arte Moreno had earlier revealed his intention to make push for the postseason with Ohtani and they seem to have confirmed that by taking him off the market.
The Angels have been struggling to make it to the postseason since 2014, and their last playoff victory dates back to 2009. To break this streak, they have invested heavily, and according to MLB expert Chris Rose, their biggest gamble yet was keeping Ohtani off the market.
Chris Rose on Twitter: "The decision to pull Shohei off the market during a seller's supreme is as big an organizational gamble as you can make."
Will the Angels' gamble on Shohei Ohtani pay off?
While the Los Angeles Angels confirmed taking Shohei Ohtani off the market, they announced the arrival of two pitchers with major league experience less than 24 hours later. Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez were acquired from the Chicago White Sox to provide some bullpen assitance to Ohtani on the mound. Despite crossing the MLB luxury tax line, the acquisitions are a promising move.
Now that all their efforts and moves have been made, the only thing that remains to be seen is if the Angels can succeed in making a postseason appearance for the first time since 2014.