Einstein once said that to do the same thing over and over again but expect different results is insanity. It seems like the Los Angeles Angels are not familiar with this concept and have resigned themselves to madness. Time and again, they waste opportunities no other MLB team can even dream of having. The Halos boast two great players in their primes, and yet, neither Shohei Ohtani nor Mike Trout can brag about a single World Series ring.
Forget the Fall Classic, even playoffs seem like a distant dream. 2023 was supposed to be the year, especially if the Angels wanted any chance of re-signing Ohtani in his free agency. But the writing is on the wall. It’s unlikely that the Japanese sensation will want to stay in Anaheim any longer. What’s more, the loyal veteran Mike Trout may also finally have had enough.
When Did the Los Angeles Angels Sign Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout?
Shohei Ohtani caused waves in the baseball world all around the globe in 2015 and 2016 with the NPB’s Nippon Ham Fighters. The day he decided to come to MLB, American fans were beside themselves. But then Japan’s Babe Ruth announced he would sign with a Los Angeles team. Not the Dodgers, who were a respectably wonderful team, but their lowly counterparts, the Angels.
The reasons were manifold – they allowed him more control over whatever he wanted to do with his hitting and pitching where other teams didn’t. May it would have turned around their fortunes the Angels certainly had every opportunity for it. On December 8, 2017, the two parties agreed to a deal, and it was finalized the next day. Ohtani played his first MLB game on Opening Day 2018, March 29th, against the Oakland Athletics.
The team’s fortunes with Mike Trout came earlier. They selected him in the 2009 draft and played in the minor leagues for two years before he was promoted to the majors on July 8, 2011. Trout served as a replacement for the injured Peter Bourjos against the Seattle Mariners and hasn’t looked back since.
Ohtani and Trout’s Performance Since Their Signing
Trout has gone on to become a three-time AL MVP and an eleven-time All-Star, an indispensable part of Los Angeles. While he has had his ups and downs, like a particularly nasty slump in 2022, the slugger is still beloved. The only trouble is the injuries that plague him from time to time, such as the current left hamate fracture.
Ohtani, for his part, has managed to stay healthy after he arrived in the States with a compromised UCL in 2017. After he had Tommy John surgery the next year, pitching was out of the question. The two-way experiment was put on hold, but his hitting was still a masterclass in baseball.
Sho-time returned to top form by 2020 and by the next season had won his first AL MVP. He would have won it in 2022 as well if not for Aaron Judge’s home run rampage. Ohtani is now an overwhelming favorite to win the award in 2023 as well, but unfortunately, all that glitters is not gold. His two-way season of dreams had to come to an end somehow, and it has ended in injury. Nevertheless, Ohtani remains a much sought-after free agent to be.
Shohei Ohtani’s Future in Los Angeles
Simply put, it’s uncertain! The trade deadline came and went without the Angels making a move, although they had been open to listening to offers at first. Several teams have emerged as favorites to land him; after all, everyone wants a piece of the home run-hitting sensation. Only one lucky team will emerge as the winner but only time will tell who. The decision lies in Ohtani’s hands and until the season is over, no one can say where the wind will blow.
Who Will Sign the Two-Way Phenom in Free Agency?
The baseball gods forbid it’s Los Angeles again. It may have its advantages, but in the six years Ohtani has been with them, the Arte Moreno-owned team has failed to give him a World Series-caliber roster time and again. Baseball’s unicorn shouldn’t want to stay there.
New York has emerged as a fan favorite, with many wanting to see Ohtani in pinᵴtriƥes. But billionaire Steve Cohen has also been linked to Ohtani in the past and he’s certainly deep-pocketed enough to pay any hefty contracts. He could stay in Los Angeles with the NL East-leading Dodgers, or he could go to Baltimore or Atlanta.
Houston and Seattle are viable AL options, while of course there’s NL’s Philadelphia. San Diego or San Francisco have fallen out of popular favor but ultimately, it will depend on Ohtani and how much freedom to play he’s allowed.
Mike Trout’s Future in Baseball
Lately, as Trout recovers from his surgically repaired hand, he has shifted focus to a dream project – Trout National – The Reserve. There’s no set date for his return and some fear he may never return at all. After all, these past few years in baseball have been harder than ever before, with slumps and injuries. Not to mention the Angels, who have failed him thoroughly. Why will Trout want to return?
The Troutani Relationship
This, at least, is a good thing to cherish. Right from his rookie days, Shohei Ohtani has openly respected Mike Trout for his immense s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁. Their friendly relationship shows on the field and in interviews, and it’s among the most popular friendships in the MLB world.
This culminated in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, when each captain of his team, USA vs. Japan, clashed in the last at-bat of the final. It was one of the most watched baseball games in sports history, not just in America, but throughout the world. It was hair-raising and goosebump-inducing, a friend turned foe.
But even Ohtani’s final victory hasn’t stopped the budding bromance, with Trout advocating for Ohtani to stay in Los Angeles at every turn.
2011 was the year Mike Trout joined the Angels, but unfortunately, even his one-man army hasn’t shaken things up too much. The Angels missed playoffs that year, then the next year, and the year after that. 2014 was the one season in the last 15 years that the Halos have made it to the postseason, but only lasted three games then. Since then, 2023 had some expectations at the beginning, but so far they seem to be ending in disappointment.
Is This the End of the Road for Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani With the Los Angeles Angels?
No one can say for certain what the future will bring, but if either player wants some individual glory, it SHOULD be the end of the road unless the management decides to do things differently. No one comes, no one goes, nothing happens. They’re all just waiting for Godot.
Ohtani has a golden chance to leave at the end of this year and make something of his career. Trout’s 12-year contract complicates things, but that is if he even returns to baseball at all. Chances are waiting if only they’re ready to grab them.
