“There’s no place for that”

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim right-hander Shohei Ohtani pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing five runs (five earned) on six hits (four home runs) with one walk and nine strikeouts, while batting second in the lineup, against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Angels Stadium in Anaheim, California, USA, on April 22.온라인바카라

Ohtani had some meaningful words after the game. Ohtani is the hottest thing in baseball right now. That’s because of the trade. Ohtani’s two-hit “Idoryu” performance made him the best player in the big leagues in 2021, when he won the American League’s unanimous MVP title. Some have compared him to Justin Verlander and Aaron Judge combined.

The Angels have been in contention for a postseason berth for more than a month before the All-Star break. However, a rash of injuries, including to their “go-to” slugger Mike Trout, has put them in a tailspin, and their chances of making the postseason are now very slim. The Angels initially said they would not trade Ohtani, but changed their minds as their postseason hopes faded.

Recently, the Angels said they would listen to trade offers for Ohtani. As a result, the major leagues have been abuzz with trade speculation. Recently, it was reported that the Los Angeles Dodgers would not trade Ohtani to their “local rivals,” and the Baltimore Orioles, who have a number of top 100 prospects, were the most likely destination.

Even without a trade, there is one more reason for the interest in Ohtani. He will be eligible for free agency for the first time in his career after this season. He was projected to be worth $400 million last year, but after leading Japan to a World Baseball Classic (WBC) championship and winning the American League MVP and home run title this year, his projected value is expected to be over $500 million.

At this point, it’s highly unlikely that Ohtani will remain with the Angels. Even if he is not traded, Ohtani is likely to leave the Angels via free agency. “It sucks to lose,” Ohtani told local media in the U.S. and Japan before the All-Star break this year. Ohtani has never played in the postseason in an Angels uniform, and his comments were an indication that he’s looking to join a team that can contend for a World Series (WS) title.

Then, after the game on Nov. 22, Ohtani made another boneheaded comment. According to Japan’s Junichi Sports, Ohtani said after the game, “There’s a lot of trade talk around. Do you think today will be your last appearance for the Angels?” he was asked. “I don’t think so,” he said, “I’m with the Angels now, and we’re in a position to go to the playoffs. I try not to think too much about trade speculation.”

The key was after. When asked if he had expressed a desire to personally re-sign with the Angels or if he had any such thoughts, Ohtani replied, “I haven’t put myself in that position. A season is a season, and my focus hasn’t changed. I haven’t talked about it (re-signing) all season. I think we’re in a good place as a team right now. We’re going to try to keep the momentum going. Personally, I don’t care about the trade.”

When asked if the club has talked about not trading him, Ohtani said, “I haven’t said anything. I haven’t seen Perry Minassian in the clubhouse. I feel like we see each other once a week. We haven’t talked about a trade.”

Ohtani doesn’t seem to care about trade speculation. But it’s clear that his chances of staying with the Angels, trade or not, are getting slimmer and slimmer. He hasn’t had any conversations with the Angels about re-signing. It’s time to say goodbye.