Los Angeles Angels star and three-time American League MVP Mike Trout was just activated off the injured list after being sidelined since July 4 due to a fractured left hamate bone.
With his Angels at 61-64 and nine games out of the final wild card spot in the American League, attention will quickly turn to the future.
Primarily, what Shohei Ohtani’s plans are once he hits free agency this coming winter. Much like the rest of us, Trout has no idea what’s going to happen.
“The whole Shohei situation — I don’t think anybody knows what he’s feeling or what he’s thinking. It’s ultimately gonna come down to what he thinks and what he feels, and he’s gonna do what’s right for him and what he feels is right. I see him on a daily basis, obviously. He’s coming in every day. He looks like he’s enjoying it and feels comfortable. But I don’t know. It’s gonna be a tough go this winter. You never know what’s gonna happen. There’s gonna be a lot of teams out there wanting him. Who wouldn’t?”
Mike Trout on Shohei Ohtani and his impending free agency, via ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez
Ohtani was the subject of trade rumors ahead of the Aug. 1 MLB trade deadline. Instead, the Angels made multiple moves in hopes of getting back in playoff contention after missing out on the postseason each year since all the way back in 2014.
With Trout sidelined, the results have not been there. Los Angeles has posted a 5-12 record since the deadline, falling out of the playoff race in the process.
Related: Shohei Ohtani and the top MLB free agents this winter
Both Ohtani and Trout have made it clear in the past that their primary goal is to compete for a World Series title.
“It sucks to lose. We want to win, so it gets stronger every year,” Ohtani told reporters during the All-Star Break.
Despite having two of the best players in all of MLB, that has not happened with their duo paired up. That’s also to no fault of Ohtani or Trout.
Shohei Ohtani stats (2022): .306 average, 43 HR, 89 RBI, 1.070 OPS, 10-5 record, 3.17 ERA
The question now becomes whether Los Angeles has a reasonable shot of re-signing Ohtani in free agency. The Dodgers, Giants and Mets are among those teams expected to make a major play for him.
One of the better all-around players in MLB history, Ohtani is going to demand a contract of well north of $500 million in total value once free agency opens.