Angels News: Who Made the Decision to Not Trade Shohei Ohtani this Offseason?
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As the Angels continue working through the offseason, one thing that fans can feel confident about is knowing Shohei Ohtani will be in an Angels uniform next season. Giving away a generational talent is never easy, and the Angels decided that they wouldn't be able to do that, at least right now.
It seems like a no-brainer to keep a guy like Ohtani, but a lot of thought went into them keeping the two-way star. Among those who had to make some decisions was general manager Perry Minasian.
Minasian still has plenty of work left to do before the new season starts, but things have started off pretty well with the acquisitions of Tyler Anderson and Gio Urshela. Things are heading in the right direction, and Minasian shared his thought process with reporters regarding the decision to keep Ohtani.
"I make recommendations. At the end of the day, it’s ownership’s call," Minasian said. "But I make the recommendations, and I think everybody’s on the same page. He’s an easy player not to move."
Arte Moreno, as the owner, has the final say on situations like this. Of course, keeping Ohtani brings more fans in and generates more money — it also makes the team more valuable as he tries to find a seller. So, at the end of the day, it made more sense for Ohtani to be in an Angels uniform through the offseason, despite the appeal of getting a haul for him.
"It’s always appealing to acquire young, controllable talent," Minasian said. "It’s appealing in the sense that it helps fill out a roster … It’s very difficult to trade the best player in a trade. And anybody who we trade him for, [Ohtani] is going to be the best player in the trade.”
Ohtani will surely continue his high level of play next season, and will look to bring the Angels over the playoff hump for the first time in his career. He will be playing out his final year under Angels control, before he's a free agent at the end of next season.
