Angels Falling Out of Contention for Ohtani as Latest Signing Odds
No player will attract as much attention in free agency as Shohei Ohtani. Given his never-before-seen ability to crush a baseball and strike batters out in the same game, Ohtani has evolved into the most popular player in the sport, and will win the 2023 AL MVP.
A tear in the UCL of his throwing arm could put a damper on some teams' willingness to hand him a blank check, but he has affirmed his commitment to returning to the mound after next season.
The Angels will certainly try to bring back their star player, whose marketability alone makes him worth whatever yearly salary he's able to get. However, recent odds crafted by the NY Post's John Heyman suggest that the Angels' chance is slipping away.
Heyman has the Angels as the sixth-most likely to sign Ohtani at 15-1 odds.
Heyman said he has heard some speculation about a potential $600 million contract for Ohtani, a number that seemed more reasonable before his injury.
He has the Texas Rangers, who reportedly attempted to trade for Ohtani during the season, the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers all tied as the favorites to land Ohtani at 6-1 odds.
The Mets and Red Sox round out Heyman's list.
Ohtani has repeatedly expressed that his primary goal in professional baseball is to play for a winning team that can realistically compete for the World Series.
As the Angels' playoff drought has reached nine years and they are in search of a new manager after the firing of Phil Melvin, it could be difficult for the Halos to effectively argue that winning world titles is in the cards.
Free agency will begin five days after the conclusion of the World Series.
