As expected.
In the first three weeks of the season, the ‘Otani Trade Controversy’ broke out. The main content of the debate is whether the Los Angeles Angels will put Shohei Ohtani, who will become a free agent after this season, on the trade market this summer.
Usually, for a major player who is about to become a free agent, the club decides whether to trade based on the possibility of advancing to the postseason. If it is possible to compete in the postseason after looking at the results of June and July, bring it, and if not, negotiate trades with teams aiming for the postseason in time for the deadline at the end of July.
Ohtani is just such a reserve free agent. The Angels will also try their best with Ohtani until the end of the season if they try to explore the possibility of the postseason at the time of the All-Star break, but if they decide it is difficult, they will have no choice but to trade.
However, the position of Art Moreno, the owner of the Angels, is ambiguous recently. Various stories are coming out around him and the Angels club. As is customary, there is an opinion that the trade will be determined by the team’s performance, but there are also observations that he will not trade regardless of the team’s performance.
New York Post columnist John Heyman said on the 21st (Korean time), ‘The Angels have no plans to trade Ohtani. The article was titled ‘The odds are zero’.
“Regardless of where they are in the Rays this season, multiple sources have said the Angels will not trade Ohtani,” Heyman said. However, sources say that owner Art Moreno has rather firmly closed the window for such trade negotiations.’
Heyman continued, “No one at the Angels club expects that stance to change anytime soon.” Moreno and his entourage did not give up hope of tying Ohtani to a long-term contract. Therefore, trade is impossible,’ he added. He wrote an article about what he heard from the people concerned and said that the possibility of trade was ‘zero’.
On the same day, Jeff Passan, an ESPN reporter, appeared on a TV program and expressed the exact opposite opinion. It is expected that Ohtani will be traded. “There’s one number we need to look at when talking about Ohtani’s future,” said Bankan. But if he falls behind the competition, as he has in the past five years, Ohtani could be traded. He’s obviously leaving the team.”
He tweeted, “Nothing new. It’s foolish not to let Ohtani go when the Angels are behind in the competition. If you’ve seen Ohtani at the WBC, you know that winning is a priority for him.” The Angels emphasized that it was not a winning power.
The claims of the two reporters contradict each other. In the case of the bankruptcy reporter, he is emphasizing a general opinion that everyone knows. On the other hand, Reporter Heyman conveys the feelings and thoughts of reporters surrounding Ohtani instead. Only the owner of Moreno, who can control the current situation, knows which one is closer to the truth. 안전놀이터
As the bankrupt reporter said, the Angels should trade Ohtani if they lose their way to the postseason this summer. There is nothing to worry about. I don’t have the ability and conditions to catch him in the free agent market anyway. It is wise to secure multiple prospects through trade. Last summer, when the Washington Nationals sent Juan Soto to San Diego, they secured three top prospects and three major league players.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated reporter Tom Verducci last month, owner Moreno said, “I’m telling you officially. We won’t trade Ohtani if we’re in postseason competition.” Can we take this as a sign that we can trade once the postseason potential is gone?
Controversy over a particular player’s trade is not good for the entire team. This is because Ohtani as well as other players can be shaken psychologically. Such rumors and controversies only ‘distract’ from focusing on the game. But there is no escaping this debate. This is because Ohtani’s whereabouts are the issue that fans are most curious about and that receives the intensive spotlight of the media.
Amidst the Ohtani trade controversy, the Angels may have their most important season and most difficult race.