Should the Los Angeles Angels Trade Shohei Ohtani?

The future of Shohei Ohtani is under the microscope. His current team, the Los Angeles Angels, are in a bit of a predicament. Ohtani has emerged as a phenomenal two-way player and a face of MLB, but the Angels have yet to capitalize on his talent, as the team struggles to make the postseason every year. 

Optimistic Angels fans would argue that holding onto Ohtani could spark a playoff run. Consider this scenario, though, the Angels hold onto Ohtani and scrape into the wild card, only to be knocked out in the first round. The following season, Ohtani jumps ship to their crosstown rival, Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Angels would be left with a compensatory first-round draft pick, likely around 35th overall, a pick that might not even surface in the major leagues for six years. For an organization like the Angels, that’s a risk that’s too high to take. 

The question of Mike Trout, a past MVP winner and arguably the face of the franchise, also looms large. The Angels could potentially look to move Trout in a blockbuster deal that could replenish their farm system and set them up for future success.

Yet, the heart of the matter isn’t just about team strategy or playoff odds. It’s about what Ohtani and his camp want. Publicly, they’ve been professional, saying all the right things. Still, off-the-record murmurs suggest that Ohtani might want out of the Angels organization.

If that’s the case, it might force the Angels into a situation where they have no choice but to trade him. This would be a painful blow for the Angels, but it might just be necessary to prevent a potential future disaster.

While it’s a harsh reality to digest, trading Ohtani and Trout might be the best course of action for the Angels. The light at the end of the tunnel might seem far away for now, but making these tough decisions could set the Angels on the right track sooner than we might think. 

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