Shohei Ohtani’s agent Nez Balelo was only speaking the truth when he told reporters that his client had “earned the right” to become a free agent once the season ends. How will the Anaheim Angels respond?
With Ohtani set to become an unrestricted free agent, the question is will the Angels do enough on the field in 2023 to entice him to signing a long term deal. If not, he’ll either be traded in July or hit the market in November. If he becomes a FA he’ll have no shortage of suitors.
Which teams will be in on Ohtani?
For starters you can pencil in the Mets. Owner Steve Cohen will be in on every marquee free agent because he can. He might not get Ohtani but he’ll drive the price to outer space. He spent like crazy in the off-season signing Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga, Jose Quintana and resigning Jeff McNeil and Edwin Diaz. He says money is no object as he looks to end the Mets 36-year World Series title drought.
West Coast Preference
Ohtani has mentioned on more than one occasion that he wants to stay on the west coast. That bodes well for the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners.
The Dodgers are going to be major players in the Ohtani derby. Over the years they’ve shown a willingness to spend (Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts) not to mention trade deadline deals that brought them players like Max Scherzer and Trea Turner.
But this offseason, instead of playing the role of big spenders, they went a more conservative route. They signed Noah Syndergaard and JD Martinez to one-year deals and acquired infielder shortstop Miguel Rojas, who is under contract for the next two seasons.
The Giants had a weird offseason. They signed Carlos Correa to a 13-year contract that was voided when he failed a physical. They thought they had a real shot at Aaron Judge, who grew up a Giants fan but decided to stay with the Yankees on a nine-year, $360 million dollar deal. The one big negative for San Francisco is the fact that they aren’t a playoff caliber team, even with Ohtani.
Is Arte Moreno a help or hindrance?
The Angels were for sale for several months before Moreno decided to take them off the market. Did that move help or hurt their chances?
Moreno has owned the team for 20 years. During his tenure the Angels have been to the playoffs six times with zero World Series appearances. Ohtani says he wants to play for a winner but that’s a tough ask for the Halos. They reside in the American League West, home of the champion Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners and free-spending Texas Rangers. Those three teams on paper are significantly better than the Angels. Just making it to the postseason is a tough ask.
No matter how you slice it the Angels face an uphill climb to keep him. Presenting the right offer is part of it but building a playoff caliber team is equally important.
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