There will be a lot of buzz around Shohei Ohtani this offseason. He’s arguably the best player in baseball, doing something we’ve never seen before, and is entering the final season of his contract. Despite having his two players who are arguably the best in the league, the Angels’ organization is a dumpster fire. They were far from contending for the championship and it didn’t take long for Ohtani to voice his concerns after the season.
As soon as he returned to his home country of Japan, he criticized the Angels, saying, “I have a pretty bad impression of this season.”
“I have to say that August and September in particular felt longer than last year,” Ohtani said in Japanese. “Including losing 14 games in a row, I haven’t been able to play as well as I wanted. So I have a pretty negative impression of this season.”
I’m getting to the point where I don’t understand why the Angels aren’t willing to trade Ohtani this offseason. I don’t think his comments suggest he’ll be refusing to play next season in Los Angeles, but I would be shocked if he decided to re-sign there. is highly unlikely to make it into 2023, it makes the most sense to move one of baseball’s most coveted assets to the highest bidder.
So are the Braves interested in Ohtani’s sweepstakes?
Braves chairman Terry McGurk said his “next goal” is to get the organization among the top five salaries in baseball. There’s no question it’s going up, but whether Ohtani is a realistic target depends on how far he goes.
The Japanese superstar is set to make $30 million next season, but his next deal could steal $500 million. It’s hard to believe the Braves’ pockets are that deep. But if there’s one player worth it, it’s Ohtani. With his ability to play both ways, not only could he potentially outperform such a lucrative contract, but the crowds he would bring to the battery would be ridiculous. He could sell out every game he has on the roster, which is a smart move for financial purposes as well.
But even if Atlanta had the money to re-sign Ohtani, would they have the talent the Angels are looking for to facilitate a trade? is. Atlanta’s system is he one of the most barren of the 30 teams. That said, there are plenty of major league talent that could be of interest to the Angels.
One interesting idea would be Max Fried. He’s a California kid entering the final year of his contract, but he’s never asked for as much money as Ohtani. There may be
A few other names that appeal to Los Angeles are Vaughn Grissom and William Contreras. The Braves could be very open to a transfer of Grissom this offseason, especially if he re-signs Dansby Swanson. , will hurt more along the way, but Manny Piña and Travis Darneau are also under contract, so it’s unlikely they can be ruled out entirely.
Atlanta also has a pitching clog at the upper levels of the minors that they’re likely looking to trade this offseason, and as we said before, the Angels need pitching.
There’s reason to believe that the Braves would be interested if the Angels pursued Ohtani, but the biggest issue would be money. If they really believe they have a chance to re-sign him, it might be worth taking down a lot of talent to acquire him. Better to stick with what they have.
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Photographer: John Cordes/Icon Sportswire
