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Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani Diagnosed With Tear In UCL, Will Not Pitch Again This Season

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Shohei Ohtani has been diagnosed with a tear in the ulnar collateral ligament of his pitching elbow, general manager Perry Minasian told reporters (including Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com). He will not pitch again in 2023. It isn’t clear if he’ll require surgery; Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register writes that Ohtani is seeking a second opinion before making that decision.

Ohtani started the first game of today’s doubleheader against the Reds. He departed in the second inning with what the team initially announced as arm fatigue. Minasian told the Halos’ beat that he underwent imaging between games and learned of the ligament damage. He nevertheless played in the nightcap as the designated hitter, going 1-5.

The extent of the injury isn’t clear. A full tear of the UCL typically requires a complete Tommy John repair. Partial tears can sometimes be resolved by either a less invasive internal brace procedure or by non-surgical rehab altogether. The Angels will surely provide more details on Ohtani’s treatment options in the days and weeks to come.

Even if he avoids going under the knife, it’s a seismic development for the market’s top impending free agent. The two-way superstar has been trending towards shattering the MLB contract record. While that could well still be the case, teams will now have to carefully weigh his arm health in formulating offers.

Ohtani’s elbow delayed his emergence as a generational superstar at the MLB level. He was diagnosed with a UCL tear at the end of his debut campaign in 2018. He underwent Tommy John surgery in October of that season, limiting him solely to designated hitter work for the ’19 season. Ohtani only pitched twice during the shortened 2020 schedule while battling major command woes. It wasn’t until 2021 that he was able to pitch at a top-of-the-rotation level for a full season, securing his first MVP award in the process.

Over the past three seasons, the three-time All-Star has been an ace-caliber hurler. He owns a 2.85 ERA in 427 innings going back to the start of ’21. He finished fourth in Cy Young balloting a season ago when he posted a 2.33 ERA while striking out just under a third of opponents in 166 innings.

His pitching performance had taken a slight step back this year, although he was still one of the best in the sport. In 22 starts entering play Wednesday, he’d worked to a 3.17 ERA across 130 2/3 frames. Ohtani fanned an excellent 31.4% of batters faced but battled some inconsistency in his command, walking 10.3% of opponents.

That’s of course only half the story. As was the case after his first UCL injury, he’ll be able to continue working as a designated hitter. He has been the best offensive player on the planet this year. Ohtani is hitting .304/.405/.664 through 556 plate appearances. He leads the majors with 44 homers, handily leads qualified batters in slugging and trails only Ronald Acuña Jr. and Freddie Freeman in on-base percentage.

Even were Ohtani strictly a hitter, he’d have a strong argument to win AL MVP. His pitching accomplishments make that honor a lock. He’ll remain the clear #1 free agent in next winter’s class even if surgery winds up being necessary. A DH-only version of Ohtani, if it comes to that, would still be far and away the best player on the open market. Yet there’s no doubt the elbow injury makes him a tougher evaluation for clubs. Not only might there be a possibility that Ohtani is unable to pitch for part of next season, teams will have to attempt to project how deep into his career he’s capable of carrying a workload unprecedented in modern baseball.

How the injury affects Ohtani’s market value will become clearer a few months from now. In the short term, he’ll remain in the batting order as a DH. Even if his offensive performance is no worse for wear, that’ll be a modest consolation for an organization that couldn’t have drawn up a worse August.

Since pushing in two of their top prospects for Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo López at the trade deadline, the Halos have gone 9-18. They’re a season-worst six games under .500 after being swept by the Reds. Their playoff hopes had all but evaporated even before tonight’s news both that Ohtani would no longer be able to pitch and that Mike Trout was headed back to the injured list. It has been a staggeringly brutal few weeks even for a franchise no stranger to disappointment.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

AL West Notes: Brantley, Heim, Ohtani

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It has been over a year since Michael Brantley underwent shoulder surgery and even longer (June 26, 2022) since the veteran slugger appeared in a big league game.  However, Brantley’s long recovery process may finally be nearing an end, as Astros GM Dana Brown told 790 AM’s Robert Ford in a radio interview today (hat tip to Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle) that Brantley might begin a minor league rehab assignment within a week’s time.  “This was the time where we really started to grind [Brantley] a little bit where he got sore and the fact that he’s pushing through this, there’s no soreness,” Brown said.  “He’s feeling really good, this feels like a special moment to try get that left-handed bat back….So hopefully he continues to feel well.”

The Astros were confident enough in Brantley’s recovery to sign him to a one-year, $12MM free agent deal last winter, though an initial expectation of an Opening Day return was delayed a season-opening stint on the injured list.  Brantley was then expected back early in May except another setback shut down his rehab entirely, and he had to briefly shut things down again July after restarting his hitting work in June.  Brown’s comments today provide some fresh optimism, but considering Brantley has yet to face live pitching, it may still be a while before he is fully ramped up and ready for MLB competition.  Speculatively, Brantley might be on track for a September return if all goes well, which could provide the Astros with a nice boost for the stretch run and perhaps into the playoffs.

More from the AL West…

  • The Rangers activated catcher Jonah Heim from the 10-day injured list today, and optioned Sam Huff to Triple-A in the corresponding move.  After a left wrist tendon strain sent Heim to the IL on July 27, he returns within the 2-3 week recovery timeline that was initially projected at the time of his placement.  Heim’s outstanding performance in the first half earned an All-Star nod, though his absence hasn’t slowed the Rangers down at all, in part because Mitch Garver has also been hitting up a storm in a part-time catching role.  Even if Heim’s wrist problem limits him to being a left-handed batter rather than a switch-hitter, Garver’s presence should guard Texas against any sort of offensive dropoff behind the plate.
  • Shohei Ohtani will skip his next scheduled start due to arm fatigue, Angels manager Phil Nevin told the Associated Press and other media.  Ohtani was initially slated to face the Rangers on Wednesday, but due to what Nevin described as “some normal arm fatigue that happens at times,” the Halos will now hold Ohtani’s next start back until a series with the Reds that begins on August 21.  The arm issue won’t prevent Ohtani from his usual regular DH duty, and the two-way superstar underlined that point by hitting a home run (his 41st of the season) in the Angels’ 2-1 victory over the Astros today.

Angels Notes: O’Hoppe, Ohtani, Ward

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The Angels have been without top catching prospect Logan O’Hoppe since he suffered a torn labrum in late April, with a timetable for return of 4-6 months. Fortunately for the Halos, however, O’Hoppe appears to be on track to return at the early end of that timeframe, as the backstop told reporters (including The Athletic’s Sam Blum) that he’s set to go out on a rehab assignment next week. MLB.com adds that O’Hoppe is likely to require a maximum-length rehab assignment of 20 days as he attempts to build back up to game shape, though that should still line him up to make his return to the Angels before the calendar flips to September.

With fellow catcher Max Stassi having spent the entire season on the shelf due to hip issues, O’Hoppe’s injury has meant the Angels have relied on a catching tandem of Matt Thaiss and Chad Wallach throughout most of the 2023 campaign. That duo has allowed the club to maintain roughly league average performance behind the plate, as Angels catchers this season rank 16th in the majors with 1.4 fWAR while their wRC+ of 95 ranks 11th. O’Hoppe, who was a consensus top-50 prospect in the sport entering the season and slashed an impressive .283/.339/.547 (138 wRC+) in 59 trips to the plate prior to his injury, figures to provide the Angels with a major boost as they head into the stretch run of the 2023 campaign.

More from the Angels…

  • Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani is expected to make his regularly scheduled start on Wednesday against the Giants, as noted by J.P. Hoornstra of The Orange County Register. That’s surely a relief for Angels fans, given Ohtani exited his most recent start after just four innings due to finger cramping. It’s been another sensational season for Ohtani in 2023, as he seems to be the clear favorite to earn his second AL MVP award with free agency on the horizon following the 2023 campaign. On the mound, Ohtani has pitched to a 3.32 ERA and 4.07 FIP in 21 starts with a 31.8% strikeout rate, while he’s slashed .310/.413/.683 with an MLB-leading 40 home runs in 489 trips to the plate.
  • Outfielder Taylor Ward saw his regular season likely come to an end last week when he was placed on the 60-day IL with facial fractures after being struck in the face by a sinker from Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah. Today, Angels brass provided on update on Ward’s condition, with manager Phil Nevin confirming that the outfielder underwent successful surgery yesterday to repair his left orbital bone and insert internal splints into his nose, per Hoornstra. While the loss of Ward is a major blow to the Angels in 2023, Nevin emphasized that the club “got the best news possible” regarding Ward’s condition as he appeared to avoid any damage to his vision. While ward, who slashed .278/.368/.500 from June 1 onward after a slow start to the season, is seemingly done for the regular season, a potential return in the postseason has not been ruled out, should the Angels manage to make it there.

L.A. Notes: Kershaw, Buehler, Ohtani, Drury, Trout

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The Dodgers were well-established as searching for pitching upgrades ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline. In the end, they managed to make some minor additions, adding right-handers Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly in a deal with the White Sox and picking up left-hander Ryan Yarbrough from the Royals, but failed to land any of the impactful starters that were moved like Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, and Jordan Montgomery. The club had a deal in place with the Tigers to acquire lefty Eduardo Rodriguez, though Rodriguez vetoed the trade using his 10-team no-trade list, which included the Dodgers. After failing to acquire an impact starter at the deadline, the club will have to lean heavily on the group of arms already in the organization down the stretch.

To that end, the Dodgers relayed good news regarding a pair of arms currently on the injured list yesterday starting with lefty veteran Clayton Kershaw. The 35-year-old future Hall of Famer delivered a 2.55 ERA in sixteen starts prior to going on the IL at the end of June and could return to the mound as soon as next week for the Dodgers. As noted by J.P. Hoornstra of the Orange County Register, Kershaw’s most recent simulated game inspired confidence in manager Dave Roberts to the point that he suggested Kershaw likely won’t require a rehab assignment in the minor leagues before returning to the big league club. Per Hoornstra, one more bullpen session is on the docket for the club’s veteran ace before they decide whether he’ll make his return in Arizona on either Tuesday or Wednesday or wait to face the Rockies at Dodger Stadium later in the week.

The Dodgers also had positive news to offer regarding right-hander Walker Buehler, who has missed the entire season to this point while rehabbing Tommy John surgery. As relayed by Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times, Roberts indicated yesterday that Buehler has nearly reached the point in his recovery process where he will begin a minor league rehab assignment. Earlier this season, Buehler expressed a desire to make it back to the majors this year, with a target date of September 1. That goal seemingly remains unchanged, though it was initially thought that a September return for Buehler would likely come as a member of the Dodgers’ bullpen. Roberts indicates that isn’t the case, however, as the righty will be built up as a starter as he aims to return to the majors next month.

A healthy and effective Buehler would be a huge boon for a Dodgers rotation that has seen its starting staff struggle to a 5.86 ERA since Kershaw’s last start back in June. Prior to his injury-shortened 2022 campaign, Buehler had been one of the best starters in the game over the past four seasons, with a 2.82 ERA and 3.16 FIP across 564 innings of work between 2018 and 2021. That included a sensational 2021 campaign, where Buehler finished fourth in Cy Young award voting after throwing 207 2/3 innings of 2.47 ERA baseball.

More from the other side of town…

  • Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani exited his start against the Mariners yesterday after just four innings due to cramping in his middle finger, as noted by ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez. The Angels phenom stayed in the game as a hitter, but the departure continues a worrying trend of issues hampering Ohtani on the mound, as he dealt with a cracked fingernail and blister on that same finger last month. Since his battle against those injuries began, he’s struggled on the mound with a 5.52 ERA across his last five starts. While the combined thirteen scoreless innings from his last two starts would normally be encouraging, the prospect of Ohtani potentially missing a start is a worrisome one for the Angels, who at 56-54 need every win they can get if they’re to make the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
  • While Ohtani’s health is in question, the Angels received a positive update regarding the status of infielder Brandon Drury yesterday, per MLB.com. Drury, who has been on the shelf with a shoulder contusion since the end of June, started a minor league rehab assignment on Tuesday and is scheduled to play another rehab game tonight. If that goes well, it’s possible he’ll rejoin the major league roster as soon as tomorrow to contribute to an infield mix that has primarily relied on Mike Moustakas, C.J. Cron, Zach Neto, Luis Rengifo, and Eduardo Escobar in recent weeks. When on the field, it’s been a strong season for Drury, who sports a 122 wRC+ in 75 games with the club while playing first and second base for the Angels.
  • While he may not be as close to returning as Drury, the Angels also received good news regarding veteran superstar Mike Trout yesterday. Trout underwent surgery to remove a fractured hamate bone in early July with a four-to-eight week timeline for return. It sounds like Trout’s return may come on the earlier end of that spectrum, as manager Phil Nevin reports that Trout had progressed to hitting off a tee yesterday, per MLB.com, adding that his ramp-up to returning to game action should be a quick one. It’s been a relative down season for Trout, as he’s slashed “only” .263/.369/.493 with a wRC+ of 137 in 81 games. Those excellent numbers may be a far cry from his career wRC+ of 170, but the 31-year-old superstar is well established as not only one of the greats of today’s game, but one of the finest hitters in baseball history.

MLB Trade Rumors Podcast: The Angels Are All In, Lucas Giolito and Picking a Lane

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss:

Plus, we answer your questions, including:

  • Do you see the Marlins being sellers or buyers? (23:25)
  • Who are the Phillies targeting and who would they give up prior to the deadline? (26:35)
  • Who do the Tigers end up trading? And what can we expect in return? (28:50)

Check out our past episodes!

Angels Take Shohei Ohtani Off Trade Market

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10:14pm: An Angels’ official confirmed the team’s plans to retain Ohtani and add to the roster when speaking with Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. “Arte is committed to making a run this season, along with having Angels fans see Ohtani through September and hopefully into October,” the person told Fletcher. “The best way to try to make the postseason is through addition, not subtraction.”

8:53pm: The Angels have decided to take Shohei Ohtani off the trade market, reports Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated. According to Verducci, the Halos determined on Wednesday afternoon they were committed to buying in advance of next Tuesday’s deadline.

Earlier this evening, Robert Murray of FanSided reported the Angels were engaging other teams about adding MLB talent. That’d certainly suggest they were trending towards buying, though Verducci’s report indicates far more definitively that’ll be the case. Verducci writes that adding a starting pitcher and bullpen help are the priorities for the Halos over the next six days.

A slump early in the month — coinciding with a number of injuries, none more notable than the hamate fracture suffered by Mike Trout — led the Halos to at least consider other teams’ overtures on the two-way star. According to Verducci, preliminary talks didn’t result in any momentum towards a deal.

Ohtani briefly appeared in trade rumors at last summer’s deadline as well. Halos’ owner Arte Moreno quickly stepped in to quash that possibility. It stands to reason Moreno was involved in the decision to pull Ohtani from the market this time around, though it’s also worth noting a recent run of strong play has pulled the club back into contention and makes that course of action justifiable from a pure baseball perspective.

Los Angeles has taken seven of their last 10 games, pulling three games above .500. They’re four games out in the Wild Card race (with the Red Sox and Yankees also between them and the final playoff spot, currently held by Toronto). Los Angeles is 6.5 games back of Texas in the AL West.

Barring injury, the 2021 AL MVP should shatter the record for largest contract in MLB history when he hits free agency next winter. Ohtani is amidst one of the best seasons ever, hitting .299/.398/.668 with a league-best 36 home runs while pitching 111 2/3 innings of 3.71 ERA ball.

It is generally expected the eventual free agent megadeal will come from another organization, though the Halos will obviously attempt to make a run at re-signing the game’s best player. If he departs in free agency, they’d recoup a draft choice as compensation. If the Halos don’t exceed the luxury tax this year, that pick would come between Competitive Balance Round B and the third round in the 2024 draft. If the Angels do go past the $233MM tax marker, the compensation pick would fall after the fourth round. Roster Resource presently calculates the club’s CBT figure right at that threshold.

Clearly, the Angels could do far better than that in a prospect return this summer. Yet doing so would’ve more or less waved the white flag on the team’s efforts to snap an eight-year postseason drought. With the playoffs still within reach, it seems the focus is on loading up for a run in what could be Ohtani’s final season in Orange County.

Turning to the Halos’ target areas, bolstering the pitching staff is logical. Their rotation ranks just 20th in ERA, allowing 4.62 earned runs per nine innings. Ohtani is the club’s only starter with an ERA below 4.00. Reid Detmers, Patrick Sandoval and Griffin Canning have all been fine, with the former’s 29.4% strikeout rate suggesting he has probably deserved better than a 4.38 ERA. The Angels prefer a six-man staff to keep Ohtani’s workload in check and the final two spots haven’t been as effective as anticipated.

Offseason signee Tyler Anderson carries a 5.18 ERA in his first 17 starts as an Angel. José Suarez had a disastrous first month and has been out for a couple months with a shoulder strain. Jaime Barria has been more effective as a multi-inning reliever than when pressed into rotation duty.

The bullpen also ranks 20th in run prevention, sporting a 4.18 ERA. Free agent signings of Carlos Estévez and Matt Moore have worked out brilliantly thus far. That duo and Barria are the only relievers with 10+ frames and an ERA below 3.00, however. José Soriano and Jacob Webb have missed a decent amount of bats (Soriano in particular) but haven’t thrown strikes consistently.

Specific targets for the Halos aren’t clear, though potential trade candidates on the pitching staff have been covered extensively. Jordan Montgomery, Lucas Giolito, Jack Flaherty, Lance Lynn and old friend Michael Lorenzen all look likely to move. Marcus Stroman and Eduardo Rodriguez could be dealt. On the relief front, Scott Barlow, David Robertson, Joe Kelly, Kyle Finnegan and Chris Stratton are among a host of names who could change teams.

Speculatively, the Angels could also use some offensive help. They’ve patched over some infield injuries with early acquisitions of Mike Moustakas and Eduardo Escobar, but first base has been a revolving door all season. Brandon Drury could fit there once he returns from a shoulder contusion, but he’s better suited for a multi-positional infield role. Trout’s injury has pushed Mickey Moniak into unexpected center field work. The former first overall pick has hit exceptionally well to cover for that loss, though, and Verducci writes the Angels expect Trout back by the middle of August.

Until 5:00 pm CST on August 1 passes, other clubs and their fanbases might hold out a small amount of hope about the Halos having a change of heart. Perhaps losing four or all five of their remaining games before the deadline might affect the organization’s thinking. Yet it seems they’re fully committed to buying right now, and Ohtani’s impending free agency means there should be urgency for the front office to strike boldly for upgrades to help that playoff push.

Yankees Still Undecided On Deadline Approach

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The Yankees are stuck in a tricky spot and still haven’t decided how to approach next week’s trade deadline, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. He says that the club’s decision makers are staying “in trade limbo” until the next few days play out, but will target an outfielder and a reliever if they don’t fall too far back. Even if they do have a disappointing week, it doesn’t seem as though selling is on the table, with Yanks simply sticking to modest moves in that instance.

The club currently has a record of 53-48, which places them last in the deadly AL East but still just 2.5 games out of a playoff spot. The playoff odds at FanGraphs give them a 31.7% chance of getting into the postseason, while Baseball Prospectus is slightly more optimistic at 42.6%. They are one of several clubs in an awkward spot where they’re not completely buried but not in such a strong position that aggressive buying is the obvious move.

A major wild card here is the health of Aaron Judge, who has been on the injured list since June 4 due to a right great toe sprain. The Yankees were 35-25 after his last appearance but have since gone 18-23 to land at their current record. Aaron Boone said yesterday that it’s possible Judge could return without a rehab assignment, with an activation for this weekend’s series against the Orioles not totally off the table, with Chris Kirschner of The Athletic among those to relay the news (Twitter links). It was reported today by Joel Sherman of the New York Post that the club is planning to activate Judge on Friday, though Boone quickly pushed back on that. He said that he “wouldn’t rule it out,” per Kirschner, but that they’re taking it one day at a time.

Having Judge back in the lineup would obviously be a tremendous help to the club’s chances. Before going on the injured list, he was having a season a bit below his MVP campaign from last year, but only slightly. His .291/.404/.674 batting line so far this year amounts to a wRC+ of 187, a bit of a drop from his 207 wRC+ last year but still one of the best lines in the majors.

Even if Judge returns to the Yankees shortly, they would likely still be open to outfield upgrades. Judge might need to see some time in the designated hitter slot as he returns from injury, and there are plenty of other question marks around the rest of the club’s outfielders. Harrison Bader has dealt with many injuries in his career and recently missed some time with a rib contusion. Jake Bauers and Greg Allen each just returned from their own IL stints. Giancarlo Stanton has played the field a bit this year but is still primarily a DH. Billy McKinney has been healthy and productive lately but in a small sample after many years of struggles.

With that uncertainty, the club has already been reported to be in the market for outfield help, connected to Dylan Carlson of the Cardinals and Randal Grichuk of the Rockies. Heyman lists some speculative fits for their pursuit, including those two, as well as Cody Bellinger and Tyler O’Neill. There’s nothing to suggest the Yanks have actively pursued those latter two names and it’s not even clear either of them are available. Like the Yankees, the Cubs are reportedly still deciding on their deadline approach, which could take Bellinger off the table, while the Cardinals are apparently leaning towards holding onto O’Neill.

The bullpen is actually a strength for the Yankees, as their relievers have a collective 3.23 ERA that leads the majors, well ahead of the second-place Guardians who are at 3.52. But just about every contender can add another arm to their relief mix at this time of year, bumping other pitchers down one spot in the pecking order. Some of the relievers thought to be available include Scott Barlow, David Robertson, Joe Kelly and many more.

Heyman also adds that the club, like almost all the rest, have checked in on two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani. But like the Cubs and Yankees, the Angels find themselves in the mushy middle ground, currently just 3.5 games out of a playoff spot. Though they are listening to offers, it still doesn’t appear likely that Ohtani will be traded.

The Yankees’ decision makers are undoubtedly engaging in multiple conversations with rival clubs, as the August 1 deadline is now less than a week away. Their level of aggression is seemingly still to be decided, with the health of Judge and the on-field results likely to weigh heavily in their calculus. They’re scheduled to play the Mets tonight before an off-day on Thursday, then head to Baltimore for the weekend before hosting the Rays for a series that starts on Monday.

Shohei Ohtani Drawing Widespread Trade Interest

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The biggest question of this year’s trade deadline is whether or not the Angels will trade Shohei Ohtani. Unsurprisingly, several rival clubs are interested in acquiring his services, with Jeff Passan of ESPN connecting him to the Rangers, Dodgers, Orioles, Rays and Blue Jays. That’s in addition to reporting from yesterday connecting him to the Diamondbacks and Orioles.

The fact that several clubs are interested in Ohtani is hardly shocking, given that the superstar has played so well in recent years to make it a legitimate question as to whether he’s the greatest player of all time. He’s hit at least 34 home runs in each of the past three seasons, having already hit 36 this year for the league lead with still a few months to go. His overall batting line of .302/.398/.674 amounts to a wRC+ of 184, which also leads all major league hitters. In addition to that, he’s thrown 408 innings as a pitcher since the start of 2021 with a 2.98 ERA, including a 3.71 ERA in his 19 starts this year.

Given the unprecedented nature of his performance, it would be a shock if any contender weren’t interested in him, so it stands to reason that several of them are reportedly on the phone lines. Whether Ohtani can actually be pried loose from the Angels is an open question, however. Recent reporting has suggested that the club will be listening to offers but that a deal is still considered unlikely. Ohtani is an impending free agent but the Halos aren’t completely buried in the standings. Their 51-49 record has them 4.5 games behind the Blue Jays for the final playoff spot, but with the Yankees and Red Sox in between. FanGraphs pegs their playoff odds at 13.7% while Baseball Prospectus puts them at 13.2%.

Rival clubs will only be able to acquire a few months of Ohtani’s services, but the offers will likely still be robust. Since a player like Ohtani has never previously existed, it’s hard to know exactly how much clubs would be willing to relinquish in order to acquire him. But since he’s the most impactful individual player that any club could conceivably add, it’s possible the bidding goes to unexpected levels. Beyond his on-field talents, there would also be opportunities for increased ratings and merchandise sales, not to mention the ability to try to negotiate an extension with the two-way player. It seems highly unlikely he would forego the open market at this point, but the opportunity to start the conversation early surely has appeal.

The Rangers make a ton of sense for Ohtani, in that their rotation has lost Jacob deGrom and Jake Odorizzi to season-ending injuries. They also don’t have an everyday designated hitter and could easily accommodate Ohtani in their lineup. They are currently leading the American League West but the Astros are just two games back and Ohtani could go a long way to helping them fend off Houston. However, since they are in the same division as the Angels, lining up on a trade could be difficult. The Halos may not want to watch Ohtani thrive with their rivals, while the Rangers may have some hesitation about looking across the dugout at their former prospects for the next decade or so.

The Dodgers also make plenty of sense from a roster perspective. They currently have five starters on the injured list, including Clayton Kershaw, Dustin May, Walker Buehler, Noah Syndergaard and Ryan Pepiot. That’s forced them to bring up rookies like Bobby Miller, Michael Grove and Emmet Sheehan. The DH slot is usually taken by J.D. Martinez but he can at least play the outfield from time to time, a problem the club would likely be happy to work around. But the Angels may not prefer to send Ohtani across Los Angeles, given the public relations aspect. They and the Dodgers don’t compete in the same division, but they compete for customers and attention in the area, with the Angels usually the second fiddle to the Dodgers. Sending Ohtani to succeed in Dodger blue might be a bitter pill that they’d prefer not to swallow.

The other three clubs also make plenty of sense, given their tight American League East rivalry. The Orioles, Rays and Blue Jays currently occupy the top three spots in the division, separated by just 6.5 games. The Orioles have a 62-38 record but their rotation is clearly the weakest spot. Their starters have a collective 4.51 ERA that puts them in the bottom half of the league. They don’t have a clear DH either, often rotating various players through that spot.

The Rays actually have the strongest rotation ERA in the league, though that number may be skewed by their frequent use of openers. They certainly have a solid foursome in Tyler Glasnow, Shane McClanahan, Zach Eflin and Taj Bradley, but have lost Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen to season-ending surgeries while Josh Fleming seems likely to miss significant time as well. Given their fondness for versatile players, they could easily slot Ohtani into the DH role and move other players around as necessary.

The Jays have some rotation question marks, particularly in the case of Alek Manoah. He struggled badly enough in the beginning on the season to get optioned down to the club’s Florida Complex. He’s since returned and made three starts without much consistency. Hyun Jin Ryu is on a rehab assignment and could be back with the club shortly, rejoining Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, Jose Berrios and Yusei Kikuchi. The Jays use Brandon Belt as designated hitter most of the time but likely wouldn’t mind replacing him with Ohtani and figuring out a solution to that problem. The bigger issue might be their relatively weaker farm system compared to the other clubs listed here, as Passan lists them as a longer shot for that exact reason.

All in all, it’s still unknown how seriously the Angels are entertaining any offers coming their way. It’s important for them to do their due diligence so that they have all the information necessary to make the decision that is best for their organization, but that doesn’t obligate them to make a deal. The club starts a road trip tonight with three in Detroit, three in Toronto and then the first game of a series in Atlanta before the August 1 deadline. It’s possible that the results of those games will push the club in one direction or another, for the most significant decision of this trade deadline and arguably ever.

Diamondbacks, Orioles Interested In Shohei Ohtani

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The Diamondbacks and Orioles are two of the clubs that have spoken with the Angels about Shohei Ohtani, should the Angels look to trade Ohtani prior to the deadline, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi writes (Twitter links).  Since it is far from a foregone conclusion that Ohtani will be moved at all, Morosi notes that Arizona and Baltimore were essentially making “due diligence” calls, just in case the Angels’ stance changes.

Ohtani’s future has been the biggest storyline of deadline season, putting added import on the outcome of every Angels game.  Los Angeles has a 51-49 record entering into their final games before the August 1 deadline — a pair of three-game series with the Tigers and Blue Jays, and the opener of another three-game set with the Braves on July 31.  The Halos entered Monday four games behind Toronto for the final AL wild card berth, and the AL West crown is likely out of reach given the Rangers’ eight-game edge over Anaheim in the standings.

Whereas owner Arte Moreno firmly closed the door on even the possibility of an Ohtani trade last summer when the Angels were far out of contention, it would appear as if there’s at least a tiny chance that a deal might happen this year, even as the Angels remain on the fringes of the playoff hunt.  The club is at least willing to hear what other teams might have to offer for Ohtani, even if a trade is still considered quite unlikely at this point (and as long as the Angels keep winning).  Continuing with the theme of due diligence, there’s no harm for Angels GM Perry Minasian to at least listen to offers just in case another team is willing to give up a staggering return for two months of Ohtani’s services.

It makes particular sense for the D’Backs and O’s to check in on the two-way superstar, most obviously because both teams are battling to reach the playoffs.  Arizona has slumped in July while Baltimore has surged into first place in the AL East, yet both teams have designs on both getting into October and then making some noise.  Starting pitching is a shared area of need for the two teams, to varying degrees — the Orioles’ staff has been solid but unspectacular, whereas the Diamondbacks haven’t gotten much from their rotation apart from Zac Gallen and the injured Merrill Kelly.

Ohtani would naturally provide a huge boost to either pitching staff, as well as instantly becoming the biggest threat in either lineup.  As Morosi notes, minor league depth is another interesting commonality between the D’Backs and Orioles, as both teams have the kind of impressive prospects that it would take to pry Ohtani away in a trade.

Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen recently stated that his club plans to “be aggressive, even ultra-aggressive,” at the deadline, but not “reckless,” since “being reckless does not serve anyone’s interests, this year’s team or in the future.” On paper, trading multiple top-100 prospects for a rental player like Ohtani might be considered too big a risk, considering that Arizona’s payroll history doesn’t at all suggest the D’Backs are contenders to sign Ohtani in free agency this winter.  Likewise, Baltimore GM Mike Elias said back in May that his team was already intending to buy at the deadline, after such a long rebuild, Elias might not want to greatly reduce his core of elite prospects for a single player.

Then again, Ohtani is such a special case that it might convince a front office (or, perhaps more importantly, an ownership group) to make an extra push.  His two-way ability enhances a contender on both sides of the ball, and conceivably, the D’Backs and Orioles are both so deep in prospects that they’d still have a good crop of prospects even minus the three, or four, or five names it might take to obtain Ohtani’s services.  In the bigger picture, Ohtani would provide such a financial surge in ticket sales, merchandise, TV ratings, and overseas interest that acquiring him for even two months would be a franchise-altering move, beyond what he might do on the field to help the Diamondbacks or Orioles capture a championship.

Ohtani: Angels’ Playoff Chase “All I’m Really Focused On”

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Friday’s 8-5 victory over the Pirates extended the Angels’ winning streak to four games, and improved Anaheim’s record to 50-48.  The Angels sit eight games back of the first-place Rangers in the AL West, but more importantly four games back of the Blue Jays for the final AL wild card slot.  The Red Sox and Yankees sit between the Jays and Angels in the standings, and the Mariners and Guardians aren’t far behind Anaheim, but there’s no doubt that the Halos are at least in the mix to end their playoff drought.

If Los Angeles can retain this general position in the standings until the August 1 trade deadline, it would in all likelihood close the door on the possibility of a Shohei Ohtani trade.  Reports last week (when the Angels were still mired in a brutal slump) indicated that the club was at least open to hearing what other teams might offer for Ohtani, yet a trade was still considered improbable even if the Angels did fall out of the race.  Getting on track and getting back over the .500 mark only makes it more likely that the Angels will still have Ohtani in their clubhouse by August 2.

As for the man himself, Ohtani told ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez and other reporters yesterday that “I’m just trying to focus on the season and sort of block everything else out.  Like I said earlier, I feel like we’re in a decent spot to make a playoff run, and that’s all I’m really focused on at the moment.”

This focus extends to both the constant trade speculation and the broader concept over Ohtani’s future in Anaheim, as he said that “I’ve never really had a sit-down talk like that” in regards to discussing a contract extension beyond the 2023 season.  Ohtani also noted that he has “never really” heard from the Angels whether or not they definitively won’t trade him, saying  “I see [GM Perry Minasian] maybe once a week in the clubhouse, and we’ve never really had any conversations.”

Mid-year extension talks are relatively rare for any major free agent — most players don’t want any distractions during the season, and by this close proximity to the offseason, players are generally eager to at least test the open market.  In Ohtani’s particular case, it makes sense that he would want to hear what other teams have to offer, given how it is widely assumed that the two-way star’s next deal will be the largest contract in baseball history.  The Angels’ apparent lack of private clarity on Ohtani’s trade status also isn’t really unusual, if the club is still gauging the trade market and waiting on the next week’s worth of games before deciding whether or not an Ohtani trade is even something they’d be interested in pursuing.

Ohtani allowed five runs over 6 1/3 innings Friday, as four of Pittsburgh’s six hits left the park for home runs.  Despite the uninspiring numbers, Ohtani still earned the win thanks to a strong game from Anaheim’s lineup, and he contributed to the offense by going 0-for-1 with three walks and two runs scored.

Ohtani is now hitting .305/.400/.676 with 35 homers over 432 plate appearances, while also contributing a 3.71 ERA, 32.2% strikeout rate, and 10.2% walk rate over 111 2/3 innings on the mound.  Health is another wrinkle in any possible trade talks, as Ohtani has been recently bothered by a blister and cracked nail on his right middle finger.  This injury seems to be impacting his work on the mound, as Ohtani has a 7.71 ERA over his last 16 1/3 innings and three starts.

Sticking with some other Angels health news, Mike Trout’s status is also a huge factor for the Halos’ chances of reaching the postseason, as the star outfielder hasn’t played since July 3 due to a left hamate fracture.  Trout underwent surgery and was given a recovery timeline of 4-8 weeks, but Trout told reporters (including Luca Evans of the Los Angeles Times) that he had his stitches removed.  Trout is starting to engage in such baseball activities as throwing and mobility-related exercises, but it isn’t yet known when his hand will feel good enough to start swinging a bat.

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