“My plan from the beginning was to finish the season with the LA Angels.”

Shohei Ohtani, 29, and his team, the Angels, gave each other a meaningful gift. The team stepped up to fulfill Ohtani’s dream, and he responded with some fantastic manga baseball to lead the team to back-to-back wins.

On July 27, the Angels made a trade with the Chicago White Sox. In a two-for-two deal, the Angels received pitchers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez. In return, the Angels sent the White Sox their top two prospects, catcher Edgar Cuero and pitcher Kyle Bush.

There’s only one reason why the Angels gave up two of their top prospects in one deal to bolster their roster. To make the postseason, and to fulfill Ohtani’s dream.

Ohtani made his big league debut with the Angels in 2018. He excelled as both a pitcher and a hitter, but had no connection to fall baseball. Even with Ohtani at the helm, the Angels were always in the bottom half of the standings, ending their season early.

Six years have passed, and 2023 is a big year for both the Angels and Ohtani. Ohtani is eligible for free agency after this season. He can negotiate with any of the 29 remaining teams besides the Angels, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he doesn’t stay and joins a new team. In addition, Ohtani’s desire to win consistently has led to constant trade rumors with powerhouse teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees, who could challenge for the pennant.

The Angels initially declared him untradeable, but as the season progressed, the tide turned. After the season, there was talk that if the Angels couldn’t hold on to Ohtani, they would have to trade him and a key prospect to another team to bolster their lineup.

After much speculation, the Angels ultimately decided that Ohtani was not for sale and immediately traded away key prospects to bolster their roster. Even though there were no guarantees of a postseason berth, it was clear that the Angels were determined to go all out.

A day later, on the 28th, Ohtani was rewarded for his efforts. In game one of a doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers, Ohtani pitched nine innings of one-hit ball, striking out eight and walking none in a 6-0 victory.

In the second game of the doubleheader, he went 3-for-4 with two home runs, three RBIs and two runs scored in an 11-4 victory and the team’s fourth straight win. Ohtani is the first player in Major League Baseball history to throw a complete game shutout in game one of a doubleheader and hit multiple home runs in game two. The two-hit wonder showed his appreciation for his team the way he does best on the field.바카라사이트

After the game, Ohtani told local media, including The Athletic, “My plan from the beginning was to finish the season with the Angels. Everyone talks about trades, but mentally it doesn’t change anything. (I’m) going to focus on getting this team to the playoffs.”

The Major League Baseball trade deadline is the first of next month. While rumors continue to swirl, Ohtani and the Angels will remain together. Can the Angels achieve their goal of reaching the postseason?