The Los Angeles Angels are making it abundantly clear that they have absolutely no intention of trading two-way star Shohei Ohtani.
With the trade deadline now less than two weeks away, many around the game have theorized that since Ohtani is a free agent at the end of the season, the Angels might shop him for the right price.
However, after sweeping the slumping New York Yankees, the Angels are in a position to compete for a Wild Card spot.
The Angels inched back above the .500 mark with their win on Wednesday and remained just 4.5 games back of the third American League Wild Card spot.
On Twitter, Bob Nightengale pointed out how hot the resurgent Angels are, and that trading Ohtani is likely not on their agenda.
The Los Angeles #Angels with an impressive sweep over the #Yankees, much to the chagrin of teams hoping the Angels change their mind and trade Ohtani. They are 49-48, 4.5 games out of a wild-card berth.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 20, 2023
With the Angels having swept the Yankees and moved back into postseason contention, it is looking less likely by the day that they will be trading Ohtani.
The soon-to-be free agent is likely to command a massive contract with whichever team signs him.
However, for now, the Angels are in no hurry to get rid of him and have no reason to do so.
The Halos are now making a strong case to potentially take one of the final two Wild Card spots, which are currently held by the Houston Astros and Toronto Blue Jays.
Los Angeles is now just one game behind the Yankees in the race and two behind the Boston Red Sox.
Because of this, we may see the Angels decide to buy at the deadline as opposed to selling.
NEXT: The Angels Are Proving To Be A Sneaky Contender