Why Angels can't trade Shohei Ohtani amid epic season, playoff chase

Should they or shouldn’t they? Will they or won’t they?

It’s all anyone in baseball can talk about. Should the Angels trade Shohei Ohtani before the deadline, or keep him in Anaheim in hopes of contending for the postseason? Will Angels owner Arte Moreno really trade away a once-in-a-century two-way talent — granted, for a plethora of MLB-ready players and prospects — and effectually surrender the rest of the season?

Frankly, the debate should be over. 

The Angels are 52-49, just 3.5 games back of the Blue Jays for the final American League wild-card spot with one week remaining until the Aug. 1 trade deadline. They’re positioned well to make a run for it, particularly with the underperforming and unpredictable Yankees and Red Sox in front of them. They’re positioned so well, in fact, that other would-be contenders with disappointing records, like the Mets and Padres, would do anything to be 3.5 games out of a wild-card spot. 

Aside from the Angels finally resembling a competitive ballclub as August approaches, Ohtani is currently producing the best season in MLB history since … ever. The major-league leader in home runs just crushed another against the Pirates on Sunday, bringing his growing total to 36. He’s projected to hit just short of 60 homers on the season, with reasons to believe he can improve his pace and break Aaron Judge’s AL record. 

We all saw the commotion Judge caused last year as he approached No. 62 — a form of breathless hysteria that just doesn’t come around often, and is only brought on by the possibility of breaking long-standing MLB records. Now, Ohtani is already the talk of the town and believe it or not, the hype surrounding the AL MVP lock still hasn’t reached its ceiling. Not to mention, as Ohtani approaches 60 homers, the team that has the pleasure of employing him will enjoy a stream of sold-out crowds. 

If I’m the Angels, I want all of that on my franchise card. 

Conveniently, Los Angeles closes the regular season with a six-game homestand against the Rangers and A’s. The mere possibility of Ohtani chasing Judge’s record and the Angels chasing a playoff berth in the final days of the regular season should give Moreno goosebumps, and provide all the incentive needed to keep his prodigy in Orange County while he still can. 

And those are the key words: while he still can. There is no telling what will happen this offseason in the Ohtani free-agency frenzy, an all-consuming event that’s expected to roll out the biggest bank-breaking offers ever seen in North American sports. Whether the Angels are willing to shovel half a billion dollars to keep Ohtani remains to be seen, but there are certainly a few other teams that will come close to all but presenting the unicorn with a veritable blank check. 

That much is out of Moreno’s control. What he and the Angels can control is keeping Ohtani around for the rest of the season, which may just convince the Japanese superstar to stick around for good. Ohtani undergoes a rigorous amount of off-field preparation just to keep his body healthy. These past couple of years, Ohtani and the Angels seem to have struck the perfect balance between workload and rest to optimize his on-field performance. Finding that formula also took them a few seasons. There’s no telling how long of an adjustment period Ohtani will need if he joins a new team. Baseball players in particular are creatures of habit, and it’s possible Ohtani won’t so easily walk away from his current comfort zone.

[MLB trade deadline rumor tracker: Who execs reportedly think could land Ohtani]

In the meantime, the Angels can continue trying to win Ohtani over by keeping him, all while demonstrating that they can be competitive and win, the latter of which is all the two-way phenom wants to do. Of course, there's no promise that retaining him for the rest of 2023 will amount to a playoff berth this fall, much less re-signing him in the winter. But there are no guarantees that the Angels' trade package of choice would launch a successful rebuild, either. Just ask the Red Sox how they really feel about the Mookie Betts deal.

Now, can the Angels realistically earn a wild-card bid? They have a brutal schedule ahead of them, to be sure. Their upcoming matchups — against the Blue Jays, Braves, Mariners, Giants, Astros, Rangers, Rays, and Reds, in that order — will make for the biggest test of the year. Playoff teams are born out of overcoming difficult schedules like the arduous month of August the Angels will soon endure. Yet, their perseverance over the past four rocky months provides enough reason to believe they can prevail. 

Moreover, the elevated stakes should only bring out the best in Ohtani, who seems to savor rising to the occasion in the face of difficulty (see: 2023 World Baseball Classic). If, by the time the Aug. 1 trade deadline passes, Ohtani is still in the Angels clubhouse, or somewhere in the backrooms of Atlanta's Truist Park going through his demanding routine, it should only further galvanize an Angels team that has so far shown it can compete with the cream of the crop. That August slate will be tough, but it’s evident the Angels are at least in position to sneak into the playoffs. 

Then there’s the fair question of whether the Angels — even with Mike Trout back from surgery and leading a full, healthy squad — can realistically compete in October with the pitching issues they face. Beyond the roster holes, these are still the Los Angeles Angels we’re talking about, an organization that steps on its own foot more often than it gets its foot in the door. Even now, as the Angels have won seven of their past nine games, including a sweep of the Yankees, their team-wide injuries are cause for concern. 

Just as there are so many unknowns about Ohtani’s future, no one knows what the slugger leading the majors in home runs, OPS+ and triples and the pitcher with a killer sweeper and 148 strikeouts can accomplish in the postseason — yet. The Angels, after six star-crossed years in the Ohtani business, owe it to themselves to try to be the team he plays for in his first MLB playoff experience.

They've come too far, and are too close, to turn around now.

Deesha Thosar is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.