"There's always a chance" - MLB analyst believes LA Angels could use Shohei Ohtani as a trading chip at MLB trade deadline

When Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani declares free agency at the end of the 2023 season, he is expected to garner offers of up to $500 million.

Despite being one of the most dominant players of the modern era, the Angels have been unable to lock Ohtani down to a long-term deal. Since the team only managed to ink the Japanese sensation down to a one-year deal worth $30 million, Ohtani is free to accept offers from wherever he pleases come the end of the 2023 season.

Many fans blame Angels owner Arte Moreno's penny-pinching mentality as the prime reason why the team will not commit long-term to Ohtani. Some, however, believe that the two-way stud could be of value to his team before his inevitable departure in free agency.

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Recently, Ben Verlander, who is the younger brother of New York Mets ace Justin Verlander, had MLB analyst Ken Rosenthal on his show, Flippin Bats. When asked if there is a chance that the Angels trade Ohtani for some serious value come the trade deadline, Rosenthal replied, "there's always a chance."

While Rosenthal acknowledged the possibility of the Los Angeles Angels using Ohtani as a valuable trading chip, he was not convinced of the situation's probability. Rosenthal went on to say:

"I would never put a zero chance on anything. But at the same time, they don't want to do that. Keep in mind, if you trade Ohtani, that's cutting the cord once and for all"

Verlander and Rosenthal agreed that the Angels will, in all likelyhood, miss the postseason for the tenth consective season. However, Rosenthal also warned that trading Shohei Ohtani would reduce the chance of the star coming back to the team in 2024 from highly unlikely to impossible. Moreover, some believe that Ohtani's teammate Mike Trout's massive 12-year deal stretches the team's resouces slghtly too thin.

Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes will be reserved for deep-pocketed teams

While the list of teams who would love to have Shohei Ohtani on their roster is long, the teams with the requisite cash on hand to make that a reality is significantly shorter. Additionally, Shohei Ohtani is an asset insofar as he draws in fan and advertising revenue for Moreno and his team. With the deadline beginning to appear on the horizon, the Angels will only make a move involving Ohtani is they feel it to be absolutely nessecary.