MLB analyst thinks that Angels' owners pride is stopping Shohei Ohtani from being put on the trading block as deadline looms

In addition to being the current league leader in triples, home runs, slugging percentage, and OPS, Shohei Ohtani also owns a very impressive 3.50 ERA, striking out 139 over 105 innings on the bump this season.

By now, virtually everyone knows that Ohtani is one of, if not the most, dynamic and skilled baseball players ever. For this reason, many also expect the sky to be the limit when it comes to the offers that the 29-year-old will draw when he assumed free agency after the end of the season.

"In case you didn’t know. Shohei Ohtani leads the league in home runs WHILE ALSO PITCHING. Well, he also leads the league in triples, unbelievable." - Ben Verlander

Unable to secure a long-term deal, and jaded by the Angels' long postseason drought, just about everybody expects Shohei Ohtani to depart when his one-year, $30 million deal with the Angels expires.

Recently, a theory has emerged that the Los Angeles Angels will be interested in trading Ohtani on or before the August 1 deadline. Hypothetically, this would allow the team to retain some value out of a player who will be skipping town anyways.

While the notion seems logical, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has shed some light on what might be holding up such a deal. According to Rosenthal, the team's owner, Arte Moreno, simply does not want to be remembered as the man who authorized the trade of the best player of the generation.

"The Dodgers have the best farm in baseball and could make the best offer for Ohtani but since Arte Moreno is the biggest idiot in the sport, he wouldn’t accept it" - Eduardo

The Los Angeles Dodgers are expected to be the top contenders for Shohei Ohtani in free agency. Moreno has been slammed by several fans, as well as media pundits for apparently letting his pride stand in the way of what might be best for the team.

Shohei Ohtani's fame can be milked by the Angels until his final day with the team

Now 4.5 games behind the Houston Astros for the third and final AL Wild Card spot, it appears as though the Angels will, for the tenth straight season, miss the playoffs again.

Despite that sad reality, Ohtani's brand is of tremendous value, and Moreno knows that. While the owner may not want to be remembered for giving a trade the go-ahead, he also knows how much money Shohei Ohtani can make for his team before the end of September.