Entering play on Aug. 22, the Los Angeles Angels have a considerable amount of ground to make up in the American League Wild Card standings. Their unfortunate luck following the trade deadline has pushed much of the team’s focus back towards the future, and what will happen with Shohei Ohtani.
All hope isn’t completely lost on the year, but as the Seattle Mariners continue to surge, the Wild Card race might be too far out of reach to seriously contend. Even with Mike Trout on the mend, his time playing with Ohtani could be coming down to its final run of games.
With a surefire mega-contract guaranteed to be in Ohtani’s future when it comes to free agency, he’s maintained the utmost level of professionalism despite the chatter, something Trout echoed as well, via Alden Gonzalez of ESPN:
“There’s a lot of questions,” Trout said. “The whole Shohei situation — I don’t think anybody knows what he’s feeling or what he’s thinking. It’s ultimately gonna come down to what he thinks and what he feels, and he’s gonna do what’s right for him and what he feels is right. I see him on a daily basis, obviously. He’s coming in every day. He looks like he’s enjoying it and feels comfortable. But I don’t know. It’s gonna be a tough go this winter. You never know what’s gonna happen. There’s gonna be a lot of teams out there wanting him. Who wouldn’t?
“But you can’t predict what’s gonna happen in the future. You just gotta look at what’s in front of you.”
The elephant in the room is of course Ohtani’s next destination, but it could also be where he currently is. The Angels are the first team he chose when he first made the move to Major League Baseball, and there’s something to be said about his continued appreciation for the franchise and its fans:
“In season, I don’t really think about the long-term stuff,” Ohtani told reporters in Detroit. “Just focus on this season and every game that’s in front of me. Obviously, I’ve been with the Angels my whole career. I love the fans. I love the team. No complaints. I just want to finish the season strong for the fans and everyone that is cheering for me.”
The competitive fire that Trout and Ohtani display is the same measure in which we analyze their talent, immense, but the sad reality is the results have never matched up. If Ohtani does leave the Angels for a larger payday and a better chance to win, it won’t be without an offer from his current club to keep him in Angel red.
Angels managing Shohei Ohtani’s workload
As the season begins to dwindle, the Angels have provided Ohtani with some days off when the superstar feels necessary. Playing in nearly every game this season, he recently voiced his desire to take a day or two off, just to recharge.
There’s no talk of injury, past the finger issues he underwent in recent months, but these were more for rest.
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