The Angels will not trade Shohei Ohtani, according to multiple reports, reiterating the club’s previous statements it intends to make a playoff run this season.
The team took the two-way star off the trade market and instead acquired pitchers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo López from the White Sox for minor league pitcher Ky Bush and catcher Edgar Quero.
The trade, announced by the Angels late Wednesday, plugs major holes in the team’s starting pitching rotation and bullpen. Giolito and López have contracts that expire at the end of this season, but Bush and Quero were not part of the Angels’ long-term plans.
The decision to take Ohtani off the trade market was first reported by Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci, while the trade was first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Giolito, who is from Santa Monica, was among the top pitchers on the market ahead of the trade deadline after making it clear he did not to remain with the White Sox. He is 6-6 with a 3.79 ERA and has made starts this season. He has thrown one career no-hitter in 2020 and was All-Star selection in 2019.
He should add stability to the Angels’ pitching rotation that was inconsistent outside of Ohtani. Giolito could start this weekend in Toronto, a key series for the Angels as they chase a playoff bid.
López, who is 2-5 with a 4.29 ERA and four saves in 43 appearances this season, is a veteran expected to bolster the Angels’ struggling bullpen.
The club made a strong effort to change its fortunes through the first three months of this season despite early and significant injuries to key starters. The Angels lost nine out of 10 before the All-Star break as those injuries mounted, including a wrist fracture to Mike Trout.
But it appeared the Angels quickly turned a corner, going 6-3 during their first homestand coming out of the break and playing themselves back into playoff contention heading into a road trip with stops in Detroit, Toronto and Atlanta.
Ohtani himself aired a feeling of hope about his team, wanting to see how far he could go with the Angels this season.
“This is my sixth year,” Ohtani told reporters after his final start in Anaheim. “My feelings haven’t changed about wanting to go to the playoffs with this team and win once we’re there.
“I think we’re in a position where we can still make it.”
The Angels’ game was postponed Wednesday because of rain in Detroit. They entered Thursday’s doubleheader with the Tigers 51-49, four games out of a wild card spot.
Ohtani has continued to set himself up for another most-valuable player worthy season.
At the plate, he leads MLB with 36 home runs, a .668 slugging rate and a 1.066 on-base-plus-slugging rate. He also is tied for first with seven triples. He has 77 runs batted in (tied for third) and a .299 batting average (ranked 10th).
On the mound, he’s tied for first in MLB in lowest opponent batting average (.195) and tied for fourth in strikeouts (148). He also has an earned-run average of 3.71, going 8-5 in 19 starts with 111.2 innings pitched. He is poised to pitch the opener of the doubleheader Thursday morning.
By not trading Ohtani, the Angels will face a fierce bidding battle for Ohtani’s services at the end of the season as the star enters free agency.
By declining to trade Ohtani for a collection of players, the Angels opened themselves to potentially losing Ohtani to another team while receiving nothing in return.
It adds to the pressure on the Angels to shrug off injuries and make a playoff run to enhance the club’s chances of keeping Ohtani .
Ohtani is set to make $30 million this season, earning the third-highest single season salary among Angels players. He trails Mike Trout, who will make more than $37 million this season, and Anthony Rendon, who will make more than $38 million.
