Shohei Ohtani is in the last year of his contract with the Los Angeles Angels, and he’s expected to sign the most lucrative contract in the history of American professional sports this winter. Baseball’s big spenders are reportedly readying their offers, and a new report from ESPN insider Jeff Passan says Ohtani could be traded midseason if the Angels fall out of the playoff race. Even if the Angels hold onto Ohtani through this season, Passan said the superstar will “definitely leave” in the offseason if LA misses the playoffs again.
Shohei Ohtani will ‘definitely’ leave if Angels miss playoffs, and these 5 suitors are lining up
Shohei Ohtani is likely to leave the Angels, and five teams are already being mentioned as front-runners.
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Ricky O'Donnell has covered basketball at all levels for more than a decade at SB Nation. He’s currently the Associate Director of Programming.
Passan went on “Get Up” on Thursday morning and said “as long as the Angels have hope for a playoff spot, Shohei Ohtani is probably not going to be traded by the deadline this year. But if the Angels fall out of contention, he could be traded, and he will definitely leave.”
Here’s the full clip from ESPN:
So there you have it: Ohtani could be traded and will leave the Angels in free agency if the team doesn’t make the playoffs. The Angels, despite having the two best players in the world in Ohtani and Mike Trout, have not made the playoffs since 2014.
Passan also laid out the early front-runners to sign Ohtani in free agency.
Shohei Ohtani free agency suitors, as reported by ESPN
The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets were the first two teams mentioned by Passan as suitors for Ohtani in free agency. The Mets have the highest payroll this season at $345 million, according to Spotrac. The Dodgers’ payroll of $226 million ranks fifth.
The other Ohtani suitors mentioned by Passan are the San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees, and Seattle Mariners.
What will it cost to sign Ohtani? The bidding will reportedly start at $500 million, according to Passan.
One thing is for sure: any fanbase that wants Ohtani should be rooting for the Angels to remain a disaster for one more year. The best player of a generation — simultaneously a dominant pitcher and power-hitting slugger — is likely to be available this winter. We’re looking at the biggest free agent in American sports since LeBron James joined the Miami Heat in 2010, and Ohtani’s contract is going to be far, far more lucrative than that.
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