As the Major League Baseball trade deadline quickly approaches, the Angels made some big headlines on Wednesday. They weren't the headlines many were clamoring for, either, as two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani will not be traded. Later that night, the Angels acquired All-Star starting pitcher Lucas Giolito, a clear signal that they are buyers holding onto their unicorn in the hopes of a playoff run.
Angels general manager Perry Minasian spoke with reporters on the matter Thursday and not only confirmed that Ohtani won't be dealt, but seemed to indicate it was never really a serious discussion.
"I never went up to Shohei and said, 'hey, we're not trading you.' I think I made it pretty clear," Minasian told reporters (via Jeff Fletcher). "I don't know the last time we [the media and Minasian] talked. I said he wasn't going anywhere. I don't know if anybody believed me. I don't think it's somebody who we wanted to move. This is a special player, having a unique season with a team that has a chance to win. To me, that's grounds for trying to improve the club. Whether it works or it doesn't, I can go to bed at night and say, 'you know what, we did this for the right reasons.' We're giving ourselves a chance and I'm excited to see how we play."
The Angels entered Thursday with a doubleheader on tap against the Tigers. Before it started, the Angels sat four games back of a wild-card spot in the American League, which is certainly within range of being considered a contender. Even so, many thought Ohtani would be traded ahead of his looming free agency after the season, especially after he repeatedly said he wants to play for a contender. Connecting the dots, if the Angels keep Ohtani and miss the playoffs, the smart money is on him walking in free agency. Trade him for a big prospect haul instead of losing him for nothing, so the line of thinking goes.
Perhaps, though, it wasn't as big a haul as many were thinking? Part of the reason the Angels pulled Ohtani off the trade market, according to ESPN's Buster Olney, was that they were "underwhelmed by the players offered in return." Olney further reports that Ohtani wanted to stay with the Angels for the pennant race this year and they'd have had "no shot" to re-sign him in the offseason if they traded him away.
These things are never simple and a two-way talent like Ohtani just makes it that much more complicated. In the end, the Angels are going to try and put enough around Ohtani to make the playoffs and then hope that -- along with a truckload of money -- is enough to re-sign him in free agency.
In the aforementioned doubleheader on Thursday, Ohtani threw a shutout in the first game. Maybe it was like a weight lifted off his chest? Afterward, he said the following about his status, through his interpreter (via Sam Blum): "From the beginning, my plan was to finish the season with the Angels. Nothing is really going to change mentally, but all the people talking about about the trades -- that's going to be all gone. I feel like I'll just focus on taking this team to the playoffs."
It'll be fun to see how this plays out, but for now, Ohtani is staying put and the Angels are trying to make the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
