Throughout the season the CBS Sports MLB experts will bring you a weekly Batting Around roundtable breaking down pretty much anything. The latest news, a historical question, thoughts about the future of baseball, all sorts of stuff. Last week we debated the All-Star Game starting pitchers. This week we're going to tackle Shohei Ohtani's future.
Will the Angels trade Ohtani at the deadline? Should they?
R.J. Anderson: Before Mike Trout's injury, I was inclined to say no to the "will they" part. Now, I think they have to at least give it honest consideration. I think the "should they" aspect is more complicated than that. I think they probably should, given that the odds are very much against them making a postseason run. But, without knowing what other teams are offering -- and I assume it'll be pretty good since the ability to negotiate with him exclusively is certainly worth something if you're the Dodgers, Mets, or any other team hoping to sign him this winter -- it's hard for me to say with 100% confidence they should move him instead of taking their chances the rest of the way and then recouping draft-pick compensation.
Matt Snyder: No and no.
Ohtani is a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon and they'll do anything they can to convince him it's worth staying. If they trade him, they chance him finding out he enjoys playing elsewhere and even signing an extension with his new team before they get a chance to bid on him in free agency. Part of the sell has to be that they'll do anything to make the playoffs, which means becoming a hard buyer here in front of the deadline in an attempt to make a push. Even if it seems unlikely right now, unlikely playoff pushes do happen. If the Angels somehow pull off the unlikely and advance to, say, the ALCS, their chances of retaining him in free agency probably skyrocket. If they trade him, they probably have no chance of signing him in the offseason. If they keep him, fail to make the playoffs and then lose him in free agency, that's a bridge they'll cross if it comes to that. They'd have a big rebuilding job in front of them anyway, so I don't see the point in being proactive if said proactivity involves giving up on having Ohtani on the team.
Dayn Perry: I'm going to say they should. I don't think they're a postseason team in light of all the injury concerns plus the competitive nature of the AL playoff fray. It's a risk, of course, particularly if the Angels have a strong second half and Ohtani makes a run at 60 homers, but I think the need to get something back for him beyond a compensatory draft pick. Teams don't trade a lot for "rental" players these days, but the supply of sellers may be pretty low this season. That might mean the Angels can get a better return than you might think.
Mike Axisa: Should they? Yeah, probably. They're on the postseason bubble as it is and Mike Trout will miss another few weeks, and who knows how productive he'll be when he does return (hamate surgery tends to sap power for a bit). Even as a rental, Ohtani would fetch a significant package, one that could include young big leaguers who can help immediately rather than prospects who are years away. Ohtani hasn't been shy about saying he wants to play for a winner, and all signs point to him leaving as a free agent. You can't let this guy leave for nothing but a draft pick when he rejects the qualifying offer. It stinks and I feel for Angels fans, but the cold-blooded baseball move is trading him and getting a huge return.
Will the Angels trade Ohtani though? I don't buy it. They're in position to hang around the postseason race until the deadline, in which case I assume owner Arte Moreno will keep Ohtani and push forward. Also, Ohtani might hit 60 home runs! The 60-homer chase will put a lot of butts in the seats in September even if the team falls out of the race. I would be surprised if Ohtani is traded, though it would be best for the Angels to add pieces and best for baseball to get Ohtani on the postseason.
