It seems to me like they’re going to face a lot of backlash unless they extend him.
They can let one of the best players ever walk and get nothing in return, or they can trade him for a return that will feel insufficient and risk a strong contender, such as the Dodgers, extending him.
It’s a tough spot for the Angels.
If I recall correctly, the narrative going into this season was that Ohtani is tired of not making the playoffs. If that’s true, then you might be right that money alone won’t do it.
Obviously Ohtani knows more about the Angels than I do, but from my perspective it’s hard to see why he’d want to return. The franchise has floundered around two all-time great talents for years now. They’ve never even had a winning season with Ohtani.
What do you think?
I think he’s tired of losing. He wants to win a championship, not just be the best player on a losing team. It’s tough to see how the Angels can dig themselves out of the hole they’ve dug and pay Ohtani the money he deserves.
It sucks because I think it’s good for baseball to have stars sign long term deals with the teams they’re drafted by instead of losing them to big market teams but the Angels are not a well-run team.
