The Los Angeles Angels have taken one of the best players off the trade market mere days before the 2023 trade deadline.
Shohei Ohtani, a superstar two-way player who pitches and serves as the team’s designated hitter, will stay with the club despite recent rumors that he could get traded to a contending team.
The Angels signed Ohtani as a free agent from Japan before the 2018 season, and he has quickly become one of the best and most well-known players in the league. He has made three consecutive All-Star Games, hit .272 with 163 home runs and 419 RBIs, and won the 2021 American League Most Valuable Player.
He is set to be a free agent after this season, has 36 home runs in 99 games, and holds an 8-5 record with a 3.71 ERA and 148 strikeouts as a starting pitcher.
The Angels are in third place in the American League West division, trailing the first-place Texas Rangers by seven games and the second-place Houston Astros by two entering Thursday’s games. They are also four games out of a wildcard spot, which is their most likely chance to make the playoffs. Tampa Bay, Houston, and Toronto currently hold the league’s three spots.
While it appears Ohtani will not be traded, the Angels did make a move to bolster their team on Wednesday night, acquiring starting pitcher Lucas Giolito (6-6, 3.79 ERA) and relief pitcher Reynaldo Lopez (2-5, 4.29 ERA) from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for prospects Edgar Quero and Ky Bush.
The Angels needed to add a starting pitcher as their depth is suspect behind Ohtani. No one in their rotation has substantially impacted a playoff race in the past, and the team is in the bottom 10 of Major League Baseball in overall ERA.
Giolito instantly becomes Los Angeles’ No.2 starting pitcher, sliding in behind Ohtani, while Lopez adds a veteran arm that just had a sub-3.00 ERA season to the bullpen. Quero is one of the top 10 catching prospects in baseball, according to MLB.com, and is currently in Double-A. Bush is also in Double-A and has played in the MLB Futures Game, showcasing the best prospects in baseball.
The Angels continue their season with a doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers in Detroit on Thursday. Ohtani will pitch the first game.
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EXTRA BASES
— Wednesday’s Rangers-Astros game turned ugly as the teams got into a confrontation at home plate after an Adolis Garica grand slam gave the Rangers a 13-3 lead in the top of the fifth inning.
— The Minnesota Twins have traded reliever Jorge Lopez to the Miami Marlins in exchange for reliever Dylan Floro.
— The Los Angeles Dodgers have traded pitcher Noah Syndergaard to the Cleveland Guardians for shortstop Amed Rosario.
