Shohei Ohtani has never been traded, neither during his time with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters nor with the Los Angeles Angels.

However, as it became certain that he would gain free agency after the 2023 season, trade rumors surrounding him frequently surfaced during the latter part of his time with the Angels.

If a player leaves via free agency, the team receives nothing in return.

But a player of Ohtani’s caliber—an MVP winner in 2021—is exactly the kind of talent that contending teams desperately want, especially for a postseason push.

Moreover, although his salary rose to $30 million in 2023, Ohtani had been playing on an exceptionally team-friendly contract up until then.

In Major League Baseball, when a team falls out of playoff contention, it typically shifts into seller mode to rebuild for the future.

In 2022, the Angels found themselves in that position early, forcing them to consider whether or not to trade Ohtani.

Regarding this kind of situation, Ohtani spoke about it with a positive perspective:

“If I get traded, then I’ll just do my best there.

It’s not about whether the team doesn’t need me or dislikes me.

If anything, it means they see value in me.”

For Ohtani, what truly matters is one thing—

to always be needed.

Source

This quote comes from a Japanese book published in Japan and is not currently available in English.

Baseball Youth II: MLB Edition 2018–2024, p.213