Beat writer contradicts Angels GM's comments about Shohei Ohtani trade buzz

Los Angeles Angels beat writer Sam Blum of The Athletic suggested the club could trade two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani this summer regardless of what general manager Perry Minasian said about the matter on Tuesday.

"The Angels should only keep Ohtani if they are strongly in the playoff mix or if ownership is truly committed to making Ohtani a competitive offer in free agency," Blum wrote for a piece published Wednesday. "Truly willing to get in the bidding war with owners who typically spend a lot more on payroll. And truly believe they have a shot at retaining him regardless of whether they reach the postseason." 

Minasian declared on Tuesday that "it’s pretty self-explanatory with where we’re at" as it pertains to keeping Ohtani through the trade deadline as the Angels attempt to end a playoff drought that began after the 2014 season. Los Angeles entered Wednesday night at 41-34 and trailing the first-place Texas Rangers by five games in the American League West standings, but the Angels were also tied for possession of a wild-card berth at that time. 

Blum mentioned that the Angels will face the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks and playoff contenders such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Houston Astros, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and Atlanta Braves all before the trade deadline. In short, owner Arte Moreno may have second thoughts about holding onto Ohtani if it's clear before the final weekend of July that his Angels are more pretenders than championship hopefuls by then.

"...Is Moreno willing to exceed the luxury tax threshold to maintain a competitive roster with the expense of (Anthony Rendon) and Mike Trout earning more than $73M combined? He has said he is, but actions will speak louder than words. And he’s always operated below that threshold," Blum continued. 

It was first believed as far back as this winter that Ohtani could earn up to $600M in guaranteed money from his next MLB contract, and that was before the 28-year-old started cruising toward winning his second AL Most Valuable Player Award in three years. If Moreno isn't willing to match offers made by big-spending clubs such as the Dodgers and New York Mets later this year, losing Ohtani to free agency for nothing will go down as an awful business decision unless the Angels enjoy a magical October run.