After a player wears a Los Angeles Angels’ uniform, it is easy to imagine him wearing any team’s color. The Angels are a stopover for mercenaries, who can get money and live in L.A. while enjoying the pro-ball lifestyle without worrying about expectations or winning. Shohei Ohtani is the perfect candidate for coastal elite clubs to throw money at. Ohtani tears UCL, Angels done
He made a business decision when he joined the Angels and there is little reason to think that his shrewdness has diminished with the way he operates. He wants to win but any hope that the delusional Angels franchise had was dashed Friday night when the pitcher/power-hitter cleaned out his locker
Update:
The Los Angeles Angels confirmed what Shohei Ohtani foreshadowed Friday night as the club announced he’s going to the IL. After the World Series, the two-way star is a free agency, and it’s possible that he played his final game for the Angels in this year and possibly ever. Instead of filing the front office again, let’s discuss reasons to not break the bank in order to acquire Ohtani. I cannot think of any other than injury. If I were the Red Sox or any of these teams: Giants, Dodgers and Yankees; Mariners, Padres; Nationals; Phillies, Nationals and Padres — in fact, any major team on a coastline — I would offer close to $1 billion, just to see who would blink first. It’s a tactic that the Saudis have used and has been very successful. The one thing that fans know about Ohtani as a human being (we believe) is that it’s human. And the lure of truckloads of cash that don’t need to be cleaned up must be hard to resist. After a taste of that money, people seem to want more. He was with the Angels, for goodness sake. He can be swayed to accept a large market and the promise of success on the field by money, fame, and wealth. (I wouldn’t sign him without a strong pitching staff or contingency plans, as Ohtani’s bat is at risk. Maybe implement a monthly innings counting? Something. It’s also because Instagram has made it a popular pastime to photoshopped players into the threads of your favorite teams. It’s hard to say how well it works, but I’m sure some of these images will seep into the subconscious minds of fans. Ohtani will make Bryce Harper’s $300 million contract look like a quaint deal. Aaron Judge was bound to stay in New York and Ohtani will leave the Angels. If the L.A. front-office wasn’t trying to get Mike Trout out of his contract, in order to avoid any guilt over trading him, then I would suggest that they offer Ohtani a $1 billion deal and see what happens. A story published this week, while I am being generous with the owners’ finances, explained why more and private equity is investing in pro teams. (Spoiler) It’s due to the fact that major teams are rarely devalued, and contracts will only continue to rise as a consequence.
Some tech/analytics bro has probably already created an algorithm to calculate the potential value of a player. Once he enters Ohtani’s numbers into his computer, it will break. Teams will be bidding like Ohtani was Phil Connors in the eligible bachelor auction. The best free agent in this century will be put to the test by the lust or love of a group of men with a lot of money.