The Los Angeles Angels will not trade two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani leading up to the Aug. 1 trade deadline, a source told Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated.
Verducci writes:
"After fielding various trade offers for Ohtani and holding internal discussions the past two days, the Angels decided late Wednesday afternoon not only to hold Ohtani but also to be buyers in advance of the Aug. 1 trade deadline, according to a source familiar with the club's decision."
The 29-year-old rotation ace and hard-hitting DH is eligible for free agency this coming offseason, which led to speculation that the Angels would deal him in an effort to get something more than a compensatory draft pick back, but the club is still reasonably close to playoff position.
Just hours after the report, the Angels showed their commitment to adding at the deadline by trading for White Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito. CBS Sports ranked Giolito as the No. 2 player on the trade block at the deadline, only behind Ohtani.
At present, the Angels are 52-49, in third place in the AL West, and trailing the division-leading Rangers by seven games. The wild-card front is more encouraging for them, as they're four games out of the final spot and behind three teams in the queue. The Angels also figure to get healthier down the stretch, as many of their injured players, including Mike Trout, will return at some point, barring major setbacks.
Despite enjoying Trout's legendary peak and Ohtani's unprecedented two-way brilliance for multiple years, the Angels haven't made the postseason since 2014 and haven't had a winning season since 2015. Finally making the playoffs with Ohtani and presenting him with the winning environment he has said he desires would theoretically improve the Angels' chances of re-signing him after he hits the free-agent market.
As a hitter, Ohtani right now leads the majors in home runs, triples, total bases, slugging percentage, OPS, and OPS+. On the mound, he boasts an ERA of 3.71 in 19 starts with 148 strikeouts in 111 2/3 innings.
