The Angels Ruined Their Future the Moment They Rejected This Ohtani Trade
Three years ago, the Los Angeles Angels held on to Shohei Ohtani instead of trading him. That might have killed their franchise.
The Los Angeles Angels are broken. From their fanbase screaming for owner Arte Moreno to sell the team every night while they’re getting blown out to the fact that Mike Trout might end his legendary career without a single postseason victory, it might be sunny in Anaheim, but it’s bleak once you step foot inside Angel Stadium. And when you thought it couldn’t get worse for the 17-33 Angels, it did on Thursday, with the news from Ken Rostenthal that threw more salt on the many open wounds of a flailing franchise.
Rosenthal shed light on the fact that three years ago, the Angels and Tampa Bay Rays were in active discussions to flip Shohei Ohtani to Florida for a package centered around Junior Caminero and Carson Williams. The Angels and Rays seriously discussed a blockbuster prior to the 2023 trade deadline that would have sent Shohei Ohtani to Tampa in exchange for Junior Caminero and Carson Williams, per @Ken_Rosenthal Angels owner Arte Moreno balked, refusing to move rental Ohtani. pic.
twitter. com/LKuKiSSXce — Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) May 21, 2026 Ohtani was months away from reaching free agency, but the Rays were prepared to let go of two of their best young talents for the hope that the Japanese superstar could help them down the stretch. More news: Dodgers Are Selling a $75 Shohei Ohtani Soda Cup and It Is Going Viral LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 11: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers on deck against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on May 11, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) More news: Wemby, Drake Maye and the Battle for North America’s Brightest Young Star Moreno declined the deal, holding onto Ohtani, believing that he’d help the Angels make a push for the playoffs. That hope would last only a week or two, as Los Angeles plummeted out of the postseason race shortly following the trade deadline. Ohtani would leave Anaheim for Hollywood, sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers , and win back-to-back championships in his first two seasons with the franchise.