Exclusive: Angels Take Shohei Ohtani Off Trade Market

The Los Angeles Angels have taken Shohei Ohtani off the trade market and intend to make a postseason push.

Transcript

00:00 After two days of internal discussions, the Los Angeles Angels took Shohei Otani off the

00:05 trade market.

00:06 They made that decision Wednesday, sitting three and a half games out of the third wildcard

00:12 in the American League.

00:13 In other words, too close to quit on a season.

00:18 That's the message they're sending not just to their fans, but to their players.

00:23 General manager Perry Benazian is now empowered to be a buyer, not a seller.

00:28 And the Angels want one starting pitcher and one relief pitcher.

00:34 About 10 days ago, the Angels set two games under 500 and teams began calling on Otani,

00:41 but they were offering just minor league players in return.

00:45 Talks gained no momentum.

00:48 Since then, the Angels won six out of seven and played themselves back into the race.

00:55 The Angels have not reached the postseason since 2014 and the Angels were not about to

01:01 punt on a chance to get back to the postseason, sitting just three and a half games out of

01:05 a wildcard spot.

01:07 They also believe that Mike Trout is making his way back from handmaid bone surgery sooner

01:13 than expected, could be back in the lineup by mid August.

01:18 With Trout and Otani, the Angels over six seasons have never finished higher than third

01:24 place, never finished closer to first place except 10 games.

01:29 Now they're making one last run at a playoff berth and they're doing it as Otani prepares

01:36 to enter free agency.

01:39 The Angels chances of re-signing Otani, not great to begin with, probably depend on playing

01:46 out the year with Otani and especially making a run to get to postseason.

01:53 The Angels now are keeping that hope alive.

01:55 (Outro)