(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Angels are in a very difficult spot.
They are fourth in the AL West division as the second half is about to start.
They have a 45-46 record, and one of their best players, Mike Trout, will be out for the next few weeks with an injury.
Shohei Ohtani, their biggest star, is having an incredible season with 32 homers and a 1.050 OPS as a hitter and a 3.32 ERA as a pitcher.
He, however, is scheduled to hit free agency after the World Series and is unlikely to re-sign with the Angels given their continued inability to compete.
They haven’t made the postseason since 2014, and Ohtani has probably had enough.
Should the Angels trade him to try and get a prospect haul instead of losing him for nothing in free agency?
It’s one of the hardest decisions in sports.
Former Angels manager Joe Maddon weighed in on the issue.
“It’s hard, it’s a difficult decision… you gotta do what’s best for your organization,” Maddon said in a chat with Chris “Mad Dog” Russo.
“It’s hard, it’s a difficult decision… you gotta do what’s best for your organization.”
– @MaddHalos on the Angels’ future with Shohei Ohtani#HighHeat | @MadDogUnleashed pic.twitter.com/hR09tth3sO
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 14, 2023
In the clip, he said he understands that the Angels are in an uncomfortable spot, but if they have a couple of good weeks before the August 1 deadline, the decision to keep him will get easier.
If they slump these next couple of weeks… look out.
Arte Moreno surely won’t want to be the owner who traded Ohtani, and that might hurt their chances to re-sign him as a free agent in the winter.
But he might also consider getting some blue-chip prospects for him, long-term financial flexibility, and move on with Trout as the leader of the Angels.
We will know more in the next two weeks.
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