Ohtani Shohei (29) also seems to be surprised by his team, the Los Angeles Angels. The Angels' aggressive move to strengthen their power as a 'buyer' ahead of the trade deadline is increasing the possibility of remaining free agents after the season. On the 28th (hereafter Korean time), in the first game of the doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers, Ohtani won his first complete shutout in his major league debut with 9 innings, 1 hit, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts and no runs. In the second game, he exploded his 37th and 38th consecutive home runs of the season, leading the Angels to monopolize the double header.
The Angels, who have won 4 consecutive wins, are on a steep rise with 8 wins and 1 loss in the last 9 games. The Angels, 6th in the American League (AL) wild card with 54-49, caught up with the 3rd place Toronto Blue Jays (57-46) with a difference of 3 games. Since 2014, he has been advancing towards fall baseball for the first time in 9 years.
Ohtani, who will become a free agent at the end of this season, was also mentioned as a target for sale at the trade deadline. He received various offers from various teams, but declared that Ohtani could not be sold and became a buyer in the trade market. 토토사이트 After the internal decision was made, it moved quickly. On the 27th, the Chicago White Sox traded All-Star starter Lucas Giorio and bullpen Reynaldo for Lopez as a condition of giving away two minor league prospects. As soon as he became a free agent after the season, he brought in two players and strengthened his weak point, the mound.
Ohtani is also subtly surprised by the Angels' quick moves. According to local media including 'The Athletic', Ohtani said in an interview after the shutout in the first round of the doubleheader on the 28th, "I have been with the Angels for 6 years, and this is the first time the team has become a buyer. At this time of year for the past five years, we have been sellers all along. This situation is new to me. We will work together with the new players to become a better team.”
For five years from 2018 when Ohtani joined, the Angels were pushed out of the ranking fight every year at this time, and they gave up key players as sellers in the trade market, receiving prospects and seeing the future. However, although there was a crisis this year, he did not escape the pursuit, and Ohtani was able to continue competing until the end of the season with a postseason dream.
“We are a team that deserves to win,” said Angels general manager Perry Minassian. The addition of two pitchers, Giolito and Lopez, will be of great help to the team.” Until the trade deadline on the 2nd of next month, the movement behind the scenes for additional recruitment is also busy. Along with the additional recruitment, Mike Trout, the center hitter who left on the 4th due to a bone fracture, is expected to receive great support when he returns in mid-August.
Getting away from trade rumors is also a positive for Ohtani. “My plan from the beginning was to finish the season with the Angels,” he said. Nothing will change mentally, but what everyone is talking about trading will disappear. Now I'm just going to focus on getting the team into the playoffs."
There is also a possibility that Ohtani will remain with the Angels by renewing his free agent contract. 'ESPN' said: 'With Giolito's acquisition, the Angels (since 2003) have surpassed the luxury tax cap for the first time in Arte Moreno's long tenure. It's an amazing development that could be a sign of what's to come," he said. "The Angels have given big contracts to superstars like Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton and Trout, but they haven't paid extra to compete for the ranks. "This suggests that the offer Ohtani will receive from the Angels could far exceed his expectations."
In the meantime, it seemed like an established fact that Ohtani, who wanted to win the championship, would leave as a free agent because of the weak team power, but the situation has changed. ESPN said: 'Ohtani refined his routine in Anaheim. "Ohtani doesn't know what the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, New York Mets or New York Yankees will expect from him." Ohtani, who has little contact with the media and prefers a simple pro life, may adapt to the LA or New York market,” he said, adding that Ohtani, who prefers a relatively quiet environment, will remain with the familiar Angels.
Regarding whether to join the Angels in the future, Ohtani said, "I don't want to think about long-term things during the season. I just want to focus on the rest of the season and what I need to do right now,” he said. “What I definitely want to do is that I have been with the Angels my entire career. I love the team and the fans. I have no complaints,” he expressed his affection for the team. Teammate Trout said, “I think the front office sent a clear message to Ohtani. They want to renew the contract with Ohtani, and we all want that.” “The decision is up to Ohtani, so we will see how things turn out. We will find out at the end of the year,” he said, looking forward to staying.
If Ohtani stays with the Angels, the Dodgers, which is considered a leading destination, will turn on the wrong thing again. The Dodgers, who showed interest in Ohtani since high school and sent a love call, devoted all their efforts to recruiting Ohtani by carefully preparing a presentation on pitching and batting after the 2017 season. At the time, not only the team's leadership, but also ace Clayton Kershaw and center hitter Justin Turner accompanied the team's representative to the interview room to persuade them, but were turned away. Ohtani chose the Angels of the American League, which has a designated hitter system that makes it easy for him to double-tap.
The Dodgers, who are looking at Ohtani again in the upcoming free agency market, will have a team payroll of nearly $100 million emptied at the end of the season. He did not spend a lot of money in the free agent market last winter for the space to afford Ohtani's ransom, and he is not willing to make a big deal in this trade market either. However, if Ohtani remains with the Angels, all of the Dodgers' preparations will be in vain. You may need to completely revise your plan.