The Angels have decided to keep two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani despite receiving interest from a handful of contenders, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
Although no deal came to fruition, a few teams tried to put forward their best offer for Ohtani, according to Heyman. The Yankees, Padres and White Sox all made a play for Ohtani, but ultimately, Angels owner Arte Moreno remained unwilling to let the generational talent leave.
The report will silence the recent speculation that Los Angeles would actually consider trading the 28-year-old MVP candidate amid a particularly rough stretch of play. The Angels have lost 42 of their last 55 games, which has dropped them to fourth in the division heading into August.
The team’s struggles led Ohtani’s name to pop up in trade rumors ahead of Tuesday’s deadline. Heyman reported last Thursday that the Angels were listening to offers for the 28-year-old for the first time just two days after The Athletic‘s Jim Bowden reported that Mets general manager Billy Eppler contacted the club about Ohtani.
The Angels have plenty of reasons to hold onto Ohtani, who continues to build off of his MVP season in 2021. On the year, the 28-year-old is 9–6 on the mound with a 2.81 ERA and 145 strikeouts in 17 starts. At the plate, he is slashing .252/.352/.495 with 22 home runs and 62 RBI.
Ohtani, who is poised to become a free agent follownig the 2023 season, made clear that he wasn’t letting the recent trade chatter affect him on the field. Instead, his focus remains on winning games with the Angels.
“Regardless of where I’m playing, I’m going to give it my all and try to win that ballgame in front of me,” he said via translator Ippei Mizuhara, per ESPN. “I’m with the Angels right now, and I’m very thankful for what they’ve done. I love my team and my teammates. Right now I’m an Angel, and that’s all I can focus on.”
