Oct 1, 2022; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno shakes hand with two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) before a game against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
With Shohei Ohtani hitting free agency, Arte Moreno has expressed a desire to keep him in Anaheim. These five teams will have something to say about that.
Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno shocked the baseball world when he decided to pull the Angels off of the market after declaring that he was putting the club up for sale in August. Moreno spoke to the media for the first time in years following his announcement but wasn’t asked anything about why he pulled the club off of the market.
Moreno was asked questions about impending free agent Shohei Ohtani during an exclusive interview with Jon Heyman of the New York Post. In this interview, Moreno says that he’s going to try his hardest to retain the two-way superstar and despite the unlikelihood of this occurring, he has high hopes.
With the Angels failing to build a competitive team around Ohtani and Mike Trout, many believe he’s going to leave the first chance he gets which is next offseason. Here are five teams that could ruin Arte Moreno’s dreams of keeping Ohtani an Angel for life.
5. Los Angeles Dodgers could make a run at Shohei Ohtani
The Dodgers should be considered the favorites for Ohtani right now as they check every box. When Ohtani was choosing his team when he came to the US from Japan, six of the seven finalists were teams that played in the NL or AL West. The only team outside of the final seven was the Cubs who play in the central. No team who played on the east coast had a chance at landing Ohtani.
Ohtani will likely entertain offers from teams that play on the east coast but doesn’t have to sign there. If he still feels the same way about being out west, and there’s no reason to believe he wouldn’t, the Dodgers have to be an attractive landing spot for him.
The Angels have not built a team around Ohtani that was capable of making the postseason. This season could be different as they did make some solid additions, but the Dodgers have made the playoffs ten years in a row and have won the NL West in nine of the 10 years.
The Dodgers’ ability to pay Ohtani whatever he wants, combined with the location of the team and their proven ability to be competitive every year makes them the most appealing option out there as of now.