MLB Rumors: Shohei Ohtani makes free agency intent crystal clear

While it still seems unlike the Angels trade Shohei Ohtani despite some recent struggles, the two-way star made his intent crystal clear at the MLB All-Star Game.

Shohei Ohtani just wants to win. That much has been made clear for quite some time now, and his performance at the World Baseball Classic proved just how great that would be for the sports as a whole.

So, can the Angels oblige? At the All-Star Break, Anaheim sits a game under .500, and five games out of the second AL Wild-Card spot. They are 1-9 in their last ten games.

“It sucks to lose. He wants to win, so it gets stronger every year,” Ohtani said of his desire to play for a winning team.

MLB Rumors: Which teams are favored for Shohei Ohtani?

While the Angels can certainly retain Ohtani’s services with the right contract offer, it’s been made clear to the organization for some time now that Shohei isn’t taking a discount, and prioritizes winning above all else. The crosstown Dodgers make far more sense in that regard, as they’ve won a World Series relatively recently and saved up last offseason expecting to chase Ohtani in ’23. A bidding war between the Dodgers and New York Mets, for now, seems the most likely, with the San Diego Padres perhaps making an appearance if A.J. Preller can secure a meeting with Ohtani’s reps.

Despite suffering what looks to be another losing campaign, Ohtani is the favorite to secure his second AL MVP, and his third top-two AL MVP finish in just his sixth major-league season. If he’s healthy, Ohtani is a shoe-in for that and may more accolades to come, which is why he is the most valuable asset in baseball.

Trading Ohtani would admit defeat, but at the very least LAA could jumpstart their rebuild. It’s worth discussing, as the team could instead come away with nothing.