The day that Angels fans had come to fear for years finally arrived.
Shohei Ohtani, the game-changing force who made history in his six years wearing an Angels uniform, is going to play for the Dodgers on a 10-year, $700 million contract.
Now, the Angels and their fans can begin to deal with Life After Ohtani.
Obviously, Ohtani’s absence will leave a hole in the lineup. He produced a combined .964 OPS over 1,904 plate appearances in the past three years. Not only was he much better than any other hitter during that time, but he was more durable. Taylor Ward ranked second in plate appearances for the Angels over those seasons, with 1,210.
Ohtani hit 124 homers in the past three seasons, which was nearly double Mike Trout’s 66. Ohtani drove in 290 runs, which was nearly double Jared Walsh’s 153.
Although Ohtani’s pitching career with the Angels ended six weeks early because of a torn ulnar collateral ligament, he nonetheless led the team in the last three seasons with 428⅓ innings. Patrick Sandoval was second with 380⅓.
The gaping hole Ohtani leaves on the field is only part of the equation. He was also the team’s primary fan attraction, bringing thousands of fans through the turnstiles to see him play. The team generated millions of dollars in revenue from sponsorships with Japanese companies and sales of merchandise in the ballpark.
“Shohei Ohtani is a generational player and it was an honor to watch him make history throughout the six seasons he spent in an Angels uniform,” the Angels said in a statement released Monday night, after the Dodgers officially announced the deal. “We feel extremely fortunate that Angels fans were able to witness him redefine what is possible in our sport.
“We thank Shohei for his many contributions to our franchise and the game of baseball. We wish the best during the next chapter of his career.”
The only thing Ohtani didn’t bring the Angels was success.
They had a losing record every year with Ohtani, which only created a maddening narrative that the Angels were “wasting” one of the greatest talents the game has ever seen.
The contrast of his greatness against a backdrop of mediocrity simply highlighted how baseball is a team sport that requires depth more than star power.
Now, the Angels have the opportunity to try building their team a different way.
The current roster is about $70 million below the threshold for the luxury tax in 2024, according to FanGraphs. The Angels could use pitching upgrades, and starters like Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Jordan Montgomery and Marcus Stroman should all be within their budget if they can convince any of them to sign.
The Angels also now have the option of using a five-man rotation, which was more difficult when Ohtani was in one of the spots. He has never pitched on four days’ rest in the majors.
The Angels also now have the DH spot open, instead of having Ohtani inked into that spot for just about every game. That gives them the opportunity to use Trout or Anthony Rendon in that spot at times, which could help both of those players stay healthier. Trout is 32 and has seven years left on his contract, so filling the DH spot with Ohtani for the next decade could have become problematic. In the short term, the Angels also could now pursue an offensive upgrade like Jorge Soler or J.D. Martinez.
It remains to be seen how aggressive the Angels will be in trying to build a winning team without Ohtani, but General Manager Perry Minasian has insisted all along that owner Arte Moreno is too competitive to agree to any sort of step back to rebuild.
At least they now know exactly what is in front of them, without the lingering question about Ohtani’s future.
Ohtani is gone.
The Angels must move on.
