Arte Moreno reveals Angels had tons of trade offers for Shohei Ohtani in 2023

Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno revealed some interesting news about his former two-way star Shohei Ohtani in his most recent interview.

Speaking to MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger by phone, Moreno said they had plenty of trade offers for Ohtani before and during the 2023 season, but the plan was to compete for a postseason berth.

Instead, the Angels failed to make the postseason and Ohtani walked away from the Angels to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

While fans were outraged to see Ohtani leave the Angels, Moreno simply could not afford to keep him.

Having Mike Trout under contract for $37.1 million per season through 2030 and Anthony Rendon signed through 2026 for $38.5 million made re-signing Shohei Ohtani unfeasible, Moreno said, via Bollinger.

On the day of the 2023 trade deadline, the Angels had a 56-51 record and were deep in the Wild Card race with plenty to be optimistic about. However, they struggled in the final stretch of the season, finishing with a 73-89 record.

Instead of going out and spending money on a big-name free agent, Moreno decided the Angels would put him back on the payroll. The biggest signing they got was relief pitcher Robert Stephenson, who missed the season with an injury.

As Moreno and the Angels look ahead, they need Rendon and Trout to get healthy. Rendon has played in just 205 games over the past four seasons, posting a .666 OPS and hitting 13 home runs over that span.

Trout has faced a similar situation, appearing in just 29 games last year and 82 the year before that. Despite these challenges, he has continued to perform at an All-Star level when healthy, posting an .867 OPS in 126 plate appearances in 2024.

Moreno mentioned that they will work with Trout this offseason to develop a plan aimed at keeping him healthy.

“We don’t need Mike Trout to be an MVP. We just need Mike Trout to get on the field,” Moreno said. “Because whether he’s a DH or playing corner, whatever he does, when Mike Trout comes to bat, he really protects the other guys and can change the game with one swing.”

Although Moreno was frustrated by the club’s dismal season, he is optimistic about the future and looks forward to a bright and promising future.