Shohei Ohtani News: LA Columnist Demands Angels Trade Superstar Before Losing Him for Nothing

Should Arte Moreno take the hard-to-swallow pill?

The Los Angeles Angels lost yet another series before the All-Star break, losing the second and final edition of the Freeway Series to the Dodgers right before the break.

Despite losing both series, Shohei Ohtani continues to stand-out for the Angels, bringing up the question: Should the Angels pull the trigger on trading Ohtani before the August 1st Trade Deadline?

For LA Times Columnist, Bill Plaschke, he believes it's time owner Arte Moreno swallows the pill and accepts what he can get for Ohtani. 

Keeping Ohtani for the remainder of the season leaves him the chance to leave the Angels for nothing, and to Plaschke's perspective, that isn't the winning position for the Halos. 

"If

Arte Moreno

truly wants to

own a Los Angeles team

in more than first name only, he will prioritize winning above all else, and attempting to keep Ohtani beyond Aug. 1 is a losing proposition."

Bill Plaschke - The Los Angeles Times

It's not as easy as it sounds. The last time the Angels had someone that could fuel them as a championship contender was 21 years ago, when they won their first and only World Series. 

Trading Ohtani is arguably the best decision for Arte Moreno and his club. It gives the Angels the best chance to not only get players that they can build on for years to come, but also help them in their current push for the AL West pennant.

Plaschke doesn't see this team winning, though.

"Trade him. Swallow hard and trade him. Sacrifice all that marketing revenue and trade him. Anger your fans and trade him. Use him to build that championship and trade him. Change the face of your losing franchise and trade him. Sacrifice style for substance and trade him. Ohtani already has one foot out the door. Don’t let him slam that door in your face."

Bill Plaschke - The Los Angeles Times