Angels AL West Rival Removes Themselves From Shohei Ohtani Sweepstakes

Scratch them off the Ohtani list.

The winter of Shohei Ohtani is upon us. Things will only get more juicer and exciting from here on out, and as we get deeper into free agency, we're finding out who really is in for the two-way superstar. 

The teams with the best odds will be in the running throughout the whole process, except for one. According to MLB insider Michael Marino, the reigning World Series champions and Angels division rival Texas Rangers are moving along from the Ohtani sweepstakes. 

Sources: Ohtani sweepstakes are moving along and the Texas Rangers and at least one team in the AL East has dropped out. Teams who feel they aren’t real players are beginning to take themselves out of talks.

— Michael Marino (@MarinoMLB) November 29, 2023

It is believed that another AL East team — maybe the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees — is also taking their name out of the running. 

Before dropping their name out of the running, Bookies.com had the Rangers with the fourth-best odds earlier this week to sign Ohtani this offseason with +700 odds. 

The Rangers adding the two-time AL MVP winner would have been unfair. There's no question that Ohtani is the best player in the league and possibly the best player ever to grace a major league field. 

Texas is coming off a World Series title, and adding Ohtani would be the cherry on top for them. Luckily for Angel fans, he will not be heading to their division rivals and they get out of facing him 13 times a season for the next decade or so. 

At least if he doesn't return to the Halos, he won't be heading to a division rival, we hope.