Passan: Shohei Ohtani Could Be Traded, 'Will Definitely' Leave Angels If LA Struggles

A Shohei Ohtani trade isn't out of the realm of possibility this season if the Los Angeles Angels fall out of playoff contention.

During an appearance Thursday morning on Get Up, ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan spoke on Ohtani's future with the Angels:

"There's one number that we need to be looking at when it comes to Shohei Ohtani's future, and that is the Los Angeles Angels' record, because as long as the Angels are in contention, as long as the Angels have hope for a playoff spot, Shohei Ohtani's probably not going to be traded at the deadline this year. But if the Angels fall out of contention, and if it's just more of the same as it's been over the last five years that he's been there, he could be traded, and he will definitely leave."

Ohtani, who has starred as both a starting pitcher and designated hitter since signing with the Angels in 2018, is set to become a free agent at the conclusion of the 2023 campaign.

Over the past three seasons in particular, Ohtani has been arguably the most valuable player in all of baseball.

He was named an All-Star in both 2021 and 2022, won the American League MVP Award in 2021 and would have been a repeat winner last season if not for a historic season by New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who set the AL record with 62 home runs.

During his MVP season of 2021, Ohtani hit .257 and set career highs with 46 home runs, 100 RBI, 103 runs scored and 26 stolen bases. He also had his best pitching season to that point, going 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA and 156 strikeouts in 130.1 innings.

Last season, Ohtani's offensive numbers dropped off a bit, but they were still strong, as he hit .273 with 34 homers, 95 RBI, 90 runs and 11 steals.

He also finished a career-best fourth in the AL Cy Young Award voting by virtue of going 15-9 with a 2.33 ERA and 219 strikeouts in 166 innings, all of which were career marks.

Much of the surprise of no one, Ohtani is off to a hot start in 2023, hitting .281 with four home runs and 11 RBI, while also going 2-0 with a 0.86 ERA in four starts.

Despite Ohtani's excellence over the years, the Angels have not reached the playoffs during his MLB career. They are also off to an uneven start this season, going 9-9 out of the gates.

Aside from the Texas Rangers being 12-6, the AL West has largely struggled, so the Angels are in second place in the division despite only being .500.

That suggests they could be contenders to win the division if they pick up the pace, but a lack of quality starting pitching outside of Ohtani and a lack of consistent hitting outside of Ohtani and Mike Trout has prevented L.A. from being in the mix the past few seasons.

If Ohtani does hit free agency, there is little doubt that many of MLB's big-market teams would at least explore the possibility of signing him, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs and Yankees.

Because of the bidding war that is likely to ensue, the Angels' best chance of keeping Ohtani may be to play strong baseball and remain in contention to the point that he is willing to re-sign before becoming a free agent.

If the Angels fall off the pace, however, they may have no choice other than to trade one of the faces of their franchise, as losing him for nothing in free agency would be disastrous.