Heartbreaking: Shohei Ohtani makes Angels fans weep with savage comment ahead of Anaheim return
Shohei Ohtani is set to make his highly-anticipated return to Anaheim on Tuesday after signing a record-breaking $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers this past offseason. For Los Angeles Angels fans, this moment has been long-awaited, especially in a season that has offered little to celebrate given the team’s struggles.
Ohtani briefly returned to Anaheim for an exhibition game just before the regular season, but that didn’t carry the same weight as his return now, with the Dodgers visiting Angel Stadium for the second leg of the Freeway Series. While Ohtani has already faced the Angels this season at Dodger Stadium, this will be his first official game back at the stadium where he spent the first six seasons of his MLB career and won two MVP awards.
The reaction from Angels fans is uncertain. Many likely anticipated Ohtani’s departure, given the team’s prolonged struggles and lack of a winning record in recent years. Still, his decision to join the Dodgers, their crosstown rivals, is bound to stir mixed emotions. Some fans may cheer for the star who brought so much excitement to Anaheim, while others may boo, feeling the sting of his departure.
To add to the complexity of his return, Ohtani mentioned that he never seriously considered re-signing with the Angels, as the team never even presented him with an offer, a statement that might further deepen the disappointment among the Angels faithful.
Angels fans have yet another reason to be frustrated with no Shohei Ohtani offer being made
Before Shohei Ohtani signed his record-breaking 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers, other teams had the opportunity to match the offer. Some did, but in typical Arte Moreno fashion, the Angels did not. When asked if he would have stayed with the Angels if they had matched the offer, Ohtani revealed some surprising details: not only did the Angels fail to match, but they didn’t offer him anything at all.
While balking at the idea of deferring most of the $700 million might make sense for some owners, not making any offer at all seems baffling. Even if the Angels didn’t want to match the Dodgers’ offer, one would think they would at least attempt to keep their star player with a competitive offer. A $600 million offer without deferred money, even if ultimately rejected by Ohtani, would have been better than not offering anything.
It’s likely that even if the Angels had matched the offer, Ohtani would still have chosen the Dodgers. The stark difference in the rosters makes it easy to see why Ohtani made the decision he did. Still, the fact that the Angels not only declined the chance to match but chose not to make any offer is hard to comprehend.
This situation is yet another example of how poorly the Angels franchise has been managed under Arte Moreno. Ohtani was the face of the Angels, especially during the many times Mike Trout was sidelined with injuries. He generated substantial revenue for the team, and when the opportunity arose to possibly keep him around, the Angels did nothing.
Adding to the frustration is the fact that the Angels didn’t trade Ohtani at the 2023 trade deadline when they could have received a massive return. They opted not to trade him, seemingly in a last-ditch effort to retain him long-term, but then chose not to make him a single offer when the time came.
Ahead of his return to Anaheim tomorrow, asked Shohei Ohtani if he was surprised the Angels didn't match the $700 million offer he signed with the Dodgers –– and whether he might still be an Angel if they had
His answers in Japanese (h/t @dylanohernandez on translation): pic.twitter.com/Cr85z1ah4S
— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) September 3, 2024
It’s a disheartening situation for loyal Angels fans who have stuck by their team through years of dysfunction. They deserve an owner who is willing to invest in the team and has a genuine desire to win. Unfortunately, under Moreno’s leadership, they have neither.
Now, Angels fans must watch as their former MVP flirts with 50/50 history on a Dodgers team poised for a postseason run and a strong chance at a World Series title.