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Dodgers almost lost Shohei Ohtani to Angels, but Anaheim did what it always has originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Los Angeles Dodgers haven't needed much luck over the past few years to win at the level they have, though it's important to remember that while many get upset about the Dodgers spending all this money, teams had to move on from other guys for it to happen.
If the Boston Red Sox didn't trade Mookie Betts, if the Los Angeles Angels didn't allow Shohei Ohtani to walk, and many other things, we'd be looking at a much different Dodgers team than we currently do.
At the end of the day, the Dodgers really only benefited from other teams making the wrong decision by letting certain players walk or trading them to Los Angeles.
That was seemingly the case with the Angels, as it was now reported that during his 2023 free agency, Ohtani actually wanted to stay in Anaheim.
“While the Los Angeles Angels have been criticized for not trading Shohei Ohtani at the trade deadline in 2023, remember they still wanted to re-sign him as a free agent, knowing that if they moved him, he wouldn’t come back.
“Ohtani stayed, and those close to him insist he badly wanted to return. The Angels were given the opportunity to match the $700 million offer with $680 million deferred, and Ohtani would have returned if the Angels agreed. Yet, owner Arte Moreno passed, with Ohtani’s price tag exceeding expectations,” Bob Nightengale of USA Today wrote.
Wanting to stay and staying are two different things, but the money portion here was the biggest decision-maker.
While some players might take a slight underpay to return to a place they want to play, it didn't sound like the Angels were really in the ballpark that the Dodgers were willing to go to. Ohtani ended up signing a historic contract at the time for $700 million, and the rest is history.
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