The MLB offseason will be one to follow. It's not often that a generational, two-way superstar enters free agency and becomes available for interested teams. That is the case with Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels. Since entering the league in 2018, Ohtani has lived up to the hype, and then some, getting better with each passing year in the batter's box and on the pitcher's mound.
While Ohtani does have a torn UCL and could very well undergo Tommy John surgery, the expectation is that he will still command the richest baseball contract in MLB history. With the fact that Ohtani will hit the open market, just how serious are the Angels in trying to ensure he doesn't play for another team for the foreseeable future?
According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, if offers from other teams stay under $500 million, "the Angels like their chances."
Angels reportedly 'like their chances' to retain Shohei Ohtani if free agency bids stay under $500 million
But what if those offers go above $500 million? Who would be in on Ohtani? Per Nightengale, the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, and Seattle Mariners are "the strongest contenders to swoop in." As for who would be the favorite among those teams, Nightengale writes that the Dodgers are still considered the betting favorites.
The Angels opted to keep Ohtani at the trade deadline instead of dealing him. With the team within reach of a playoff spot, the Angels instead decided to be big buyers, bringing in Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez from the Chicago White Sox, Randal Grichuk and C.J. Cron from the Colorado Rockies, and Dominic Leone from the New York Mets to help them earn their first postseason appearance since 2014. Instead, the team plummeted down the standings, and Giolito, Lopez, Grichuk, and Leone were all waived by the Angels.
Nightengale notes that "those familiar with Ohtani's thinking" believe that he will undergo Tommy John surgery to repair the torn UCL.
This season, Ohtani has played at a level where the AL MVP award is essentially a lock for him. As a pitcher, Ohtani recorded a 3.14 ERA, a 1.061 WHIP, a 10-5 win-loss record, 167 strikeouts, and 55 walks in 132.0 innings (23 starts). As a batter, the star recorded a .304 batting average, a 412 on-base percentage, a .654 slugging percentage, 44 home runs, 95 RBI, 102 runs, 151 hits, 143 strikeouts, and 91 walks in 497 at-bats (135 games).
Once the World Series concludes, the attention of baseball fans and media members will be on where Ohtani will sign as a free agent. Will he stay with the Angels? Or will an offer from another team entice him to play elsewhere? We'll find out in the coming months.
