Former Angels Manager Brushes Off LA's Chance at Keeping Shohei Ohtani

No love for his former franchise.

A big part of being one of the biggest superstars in baseball while also being a part of one of the more dysfunctional franchises means you will also be in trade rumors 24/7. This has never been more true for Shohei Ohtani than in 2023.

Ever since the Angels started making a flurry of offseason additions and signings, it was clear that they knew what's at stake for them this year. Their start to the season hasn't been ideal but they also are not bottom feeders and should Arte Moreno stay true to his promise, Ohtani will finish the year in Anaheim if they make the playoffs.

But what comes after that? Ohtani is 28-years-old and will not want to waste any more prime years waiting for the Halos to give him a legit squad. He'll finally have the freedom again to choose his own destiny and the biggest debate around the MLB currently is whether or not the Angels' pitch to him will work.

Well it looks like former members of the organization are not very confident. Joe Maddon, who last managed the team in 2005 believes that there are reasons beyond the dollar signs that will ultimately lead to the international star leaving.

Shohei Ohtani hits his sixth home run of the season, a two-run shot, and the Angels now lead the A's, 11-3. pic.twitter.com/4tHOBHFRtU

— Sarah Valenzuela (@Sarah_IsabelVee) April 27, 2023

"There are several teams that are going to not get outbid on this one," said Maddon. "So if you're willing to spend an exorbitant amount of money that exceeds all the other people with contracts you have in place, you might have a shot. But I think more than anything, Shohei wants to go somewhere where he feels assured that he's going to have a chance to win."

(Via The Athletic)

Money is great and the end of the day, every player is trying to profit off of their talents as much as they can. But Ohtani is well-aware just how rare of a player he is in this era.

He deserves to have a chance at hoisting a trophy just like he did with Japan and LA has to prove that he can do it with them.