Shohei Ohtani Is Making It Very Clear To The Angels That They Need To Start Winning Or He's Gone
Tick tock Angels, better start making some moves. After another pitching masterpiece this week Shohei Ohtani was asked about his desire to stay with the team and if there were any contract extension talks going on. He's a free agent after 2023 so it's coming up quick. He didn't sugarcoat it at all, laid it all out there.
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Start winning and we can talk about it is basically what he is saying. Ohtani loves the city, the team, the fans, everything about being an Angel. Except for the fact that they have 2 generation talents on their team and they can't sniff a playoff spot. Add in Anthony Rendon when healthy and they have what, 3 of the top 15-20 players in baseball? Ohtani doesn't seem like a guy who is playing this game to be the highest paid player, he isn't doing it for cash. It's a nice bonus, but he seems like a guy who really wants to win, something the Angels haven't done much of.
They haven't been above .500 since 2015, haven't made the playoffs since being swept in the 2014 Divisional Series, and haven't won a playoff game since 2009. Every year they're stuck in the same holding patten, have the names on the roster but can't put it together. One star eventually gets hurt and its curtains for the season. They've signed some big names to horrible contracts too, Josh Hamilton, CJ Wilson, Justin Upton, and Albert Pujols were huge, massive busts. They have the money to bring in guys to help Trout and Ohtani, they just have to pick the right guys. Hence why Mike Trout is lobbying for Max Scherzer to join the Angels out there, but they still need more. They have to show Ohtani they're committed to winning instead of just selling jerseys. That is the big knock on Trout, he doesn't care about winning and is fine with collecting his MVP at the end of the season and going nuts at Eagles game the first week in October every year instead of playing in the playoffs. They have the best player in baseball and have made the playoffs once in 12 years. Can't keep missing the playoffs and expect to keep guys like Shohei, all he wants to do is win.
They have the manger, they have the resources, they have the key players to be good, they can't keep wasting the careers of generational talents. Maybe you don't need to sign Rendon to a massive deal and you try to focus on pitching and bullpen guys. Sure they drafted 20 pitchers in this last draft, but they need quality MLB guys to fill out that rotation including a big horse at the front of it. It's got to be maddening to be an Angels fan. If they let Ohtani walk or trade him for prospects it will be a massive bust for them. We are seeing them waste Mike Trout right in front of our eyes, and it doesn't sound like Shohei is going to go the Mike Trout route and sign on and enjoy the ride.
They better prove to him that they're trying to win or we could see Ohtani in a shiny new uniform in a few seasons. Why would he want to stick around if they don't do anything? He's doing everything he can to help his team win and the upper management seem to be content where they are. Pitching his ass off, hitting bombs, and then have a bunch of nobodies on the mound behind him. Prove to him you want to get better Angels, you're running out of time. This is going to be a massive offseason for this club.