Only a few people know the Los Angeles Angels organization better than former manager Joe Maddon. Maddon spent two and a half seasons as the leader of the Angels, so he got a pretty good idea of how the team runs.
Like everyone else, he has heard all the talk about what the team will do with Shohei Ohtani.
Just before it was announced that the Angels would be pulling Ohtani from the trade block, Maddon spoke on MLB Network about his thoughts on the situation.
“I think they are going to choose to keep him, and then add on.”
The veteran manager knows how owner Arte Moreno operates and knows that he sees a window of opportunity to get back to the postseason. The Angels haven’t reached the playoffs since 2014, so getting there would be a big deal for the team.
They also want to prove to Ohtani that they can win, something he has spoken about at length as being his priority. So, with his impending free agency coming this winter, the Angels decided to try and make a run for it.
They acquired starting pitcher Lucas Giolito from the Chicago White Sox just hours after taking Ohtani off the trade block. This was a sign that they meant business and are trying to win.
It remains to be seen if their efforts will end in the team breaking the playoff drought, but at least they can say they went for it. They owed it to the players on the roster and the fans to try and that’s all anyone can ask for here.
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