MLB Rumors: Marcus Stroman trade, Astros-Angels secret meeting, Mets plan
By Mark Powell
MLB Rumors: Why did Angels and Astros have secret meeting?
The chances of the Los Angeles Angels trading Shohei Ohtani seem to increase by the day. Nonetheless, it would still be considered a shock to industry insiders if Ohtani was dealt elsewhere. If the Angels believe there is any chance that Ohtani could re-sign with them, then riding it out with the likely AL MVP makes the most sense as an organization.
If, however, the Halos get a clear sign that Ohtani intends on leaving, then they should get what they can for him now. Dealing him within the division should not be on the table, and some Angels fans grew suspicious thanks to a meeting between Perry Minasian and Dana Brown.
Despite the photograph above, it’s very unlikely that Houston and LAA were meeting about Ohtani. While the Angels and Astros are heading in opposite directions, Houston doesn’t have the necessary assets to trade for a player of Ohtani’s stature unless they are willing to subtract from their major-league product. Their MiLB system is in the midst of a reboot.
Per Japanese source News Collect, here’s how the meeting went down (it should be noted that this has been translated via google):
"“During the game, GM Perry Minassian, who holds the key to Otani’s success, visited the room where the Astros leaders were. GM Minassian, who has not appeared in front of the press for the past few days, had a serious conversation with GM Dana Brown for nearly 30 minutes. The Astros minor organization is not as fulfilling as the Angels, and it can be said that the possibility of a shock transfer to the Astros is low. It was a lightning talk that caused a stir in the media.”"
For all we know, the two front office executives could have been planning a round of golf. But given the buzz surrounding the Angels and Ohtani right now, everything is a story.