Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno in tough situation but unlikely to trade Shohei Ohtani before deadline

Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno has put himself in a corner with the Shohei Ohtani contract situation.

As we approach the August 1st trade deadline, the Angels are left with fewer and fewer options. Trade Ohtani in exchange for some top-tier talent. Let Ohtani's contract run down and risk losing him for nothing at the end of the year. Negotiate and extend Ohtani to what would likely be a record MLB contract. The last option seems highly unlikely in the coming weeks.

MLB Insider Ken Rosenthal shed some light on what path the Angels likely take.

"It’s pretty simple. Arte Moreno does not want to be the owner responsible for trading the best player of all time." - Ken Rosenthal

Rosenthal was speaking on Fox Sports and believes that Moreno will choose to hold on to the team's most valuable asset. There is still a chance that Ohtani decides to re-sign and remain in Anaheim next season.

It has been a rough two weeks for the Angels, who find themselves slipping out of playoff contention. The team has lost nine of their last 10 games to drop to 45-46. They are currently fourth in the American League West, seven games behind the Texas Rangers.

Missing out on the playoffs for a ninth straight season could be the final straw for Ohtani. He is yet to make a postseason appearance after four full seasons in the majors.

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Shohei Ohtani is in the final stages of a one-year, $30 million contract

Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels pitches against the San Diego Padres at PETCO Park

Shohei Ohtani has played his entire MLB career with the Los Angeles Angels since he arrived in 2018. Over that stretch, he has been selected to the All-Star game on three different occasions and was named AL MVP in 2021. Ohtani was named Rookie of the Year in 2018 and AP Male Athlete of the Year in 2021.

"Was June 2023 Shohei Ohtani's best month EVER? American League Player of the Month presented by @Chevrolet" - MLB Stats

Moreno had the chance to trade Ohtani after his phenomenal 2021 MVP season. He chose not to. He had the chance to trade him last year and chose to hang on to the two-way superstar. With just 22 days until the deadline, this may be Moreno's last chance.