Former coach Joe Madden, who served as the manager of the Los Angeles Angels until last year, talked about the future of Shohei Ohtani (29).
Ohtani is recording a batting average of .253 (22 hits in 87 at-bats), 5 home runs, 13 RBIs, OPS of .787 in 23 games as a hitter this season, and 3 wins in 5 games (28 innings) as a pitcher, with an ERA of 0.64. He reigns as the best star in the major leagues, winning the American League MVP by unanimous vote for the 2021 season and also finishing second in the MVP vote last season.
After completing this season, Ohtani, who will become a free agent, is expected to win a super-large contract worth more than 500 million dollars (approximately 668.5 billion won) for the first time in major league history. The original team, the Angels, is making all-out efforts to retain Ohtani, but it is true that the possibility of extending the contract is not high.
If the Angels can’t catch Ohtani, it’s practical to trade them before they qualify for free agency. However, it is true that the Angels have a lot of pressure to trade Ohtani, the team’s top star.
The New York Post, an American media, said on the 21st (Korean time), “Almost half of the league teams, including the Yankees and San Diego, asked the Angels about the Ohtani trade ahead of last year’s trade deadline. But sources say Angels owner Arte Moreno has strongly abandoned the idea of trading the iconic superstar.” An Angels official emphasized that the chance of the Angels trading Ohtani is “0%”.
MLB Network, the official major league media, introduced an article in the New York Post on the 26th and asked former manager Madden, who had worked with Ohtani, about Ohtani’s future. Former coach Madden said, “I have never thought about trading Ohtani. But it seems the world has changed. All teams want to sign Ohtani,” he said.
“For the Angels to extend Ohtani’s contract, he has to have an amazing season. We need to be able to show Ohtani performance before the trade deadline,” he explained, explaining that Ohtani prefers a team that can challenge for the World Series championship. 크크크벳
“Ohtani preferred to play for a West Coast team before,” said former coach Madden. Because he has become accustomed to various environments, wealthy clubs will consider signing Ohtani.”
Former coach Madden cautiously said, “Some people will object to my words,” and revealed his belief, “I don’t understand why Ohtani is not traded and left to sign with another team.”