The history of the Los Angeles Angels was changed when two-way Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani signed with the club ahead of the 2018 season. Six seasons and two MVPs later, the Angels didn't have a single winning season to show for his greatness. Then, the Angels let him walk in free agency to the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he’s already won two World Series rings.

Ohtani was nothing short of amazing in an Angels uniform. He smashed 171 home runs while also recording a 3.01 ERA on the mound during his time in Anaheim. Though the wins didn't come for the team, Ohtani was the last person to blame.

When his team control years started to come to an end, all MLB eyes were fixated on whether or not Ohtani, the greatest player in the game, would become available on the open market. Having Ohtani was great for the Angels, but it was clear they needed more than one player to turn things around for the franchise.

Because of this, teams across the league started to send the Halos trade packages for Ohtani in his final couple of seasons before becoming a free agent. Owner Arte Moreno, however, was too short-sighted to pull the trigger on a franchise-altering deal that would have launched the Angels into a much-needed and successful rebuild. He let Ohtani play out his final years and leave for the rival Dodgers, only getting a compensatory draft pick in return.

This decision will haunt the Angels, who have failed to fully dive into a rebuild despite all the signs pointing to how necessary one is. They had several great offers on the table for Ohtani that would have left the Angels in a much better place than they are right now, but fans are instead prepping to watch another season of last-place baseball.

The San Diego Padres offered a package surrounding outfielder Jackson Merrill in 2022. The Angels didn't budge, and the Padres went on to involve top prospects Mackenzie Gore, James Wood, and C.J. Abrams in a Juan Soto trade. To think the Halos could have had Merrill and some combination of these other prospects that have blossomed into franchise cornerstones is a tough pill for fans to swallow.

The Tampa Bay Rays also wanted Ohtani and were willing to trade three of their top 10 prospects, including third baseman Junior Caminero. In 2025, Caminero hit 45 home runs, drove in 110 runs, and recorded an .846 OPS at 21 years old. He sure would’ve been a great player to fix the Angels’ perpetual problems at the hot corner.

Other teams across the league, such as the Dodgers and New York Yankees, were all vying for Ohtani’s talents in 2022 and 2023, and they were willing to send enormous amounts of talent to the Angels in return. It was all for nothing, however, as Moreno prioritized ticket sales over the final couple of seasons over successfully building up his franchise. It’s yet another tale of the incompetence in the Angels’ front office.