MLB Fans Criticize Angels for Pulling Shohei Ohtani Off Trade Market Before Deadline

Sports fans love a blockbuster trade, and it's rare that a superstar like Shohei Ohtani finds himself available on the market.

So Wednesday's report from SI.com's Tom Verducci that the Los Angeles Angels weren't planning to deal Ohtani ahead of the Aug. 1 trade deadline was met with varying degrees of surprise and scorn on MLB Twitter:

The Angels found themselves in a tough position.

If they traded him, well, they were the team that traded the legendary Ohtani. Anything less than an epic haul of top prospects wasn't going to suffice, and since the superstar is set to hit free agency this winter, teams reportedly were hesitant to offer their top-shelf prospects.

As Verducci wrote, "A source familiar with those talks said teams were offering minor league players—and not their top prospects. Those talks did not produce any momentum."

Keeping Ohtani, of course, risks losing him for nothing in free agency. That too would be brutal, although the part that many detractors of the decision don't seem to acknowledge is that Ohtani ultimately could choose to re-sign with the Angels.

If that happens, Wednesday's move is going to look a lot better in hindsight. Perhaps a playoff berth this season after an eight-year drought would sweeten the pot for Ohtani. Perhaps the Angels evolving into a true contender would make him feel even more at home with an organization that has significantly catered to him.

It's important to remember that Ohtani already chose the Angels once. It's possible he could do so again, even as a bidding war for his services will likely lead to a record-setting contract this winter.

If the Angels have the stomach for that level of payday, they have a chance to keep baseball's player. Wednesday's decision suggests they might.