Shohei Ohtani's Los Angeles chapter is closed after he decided to sign with state rivals Los Angeles Dodgers.
The two-way star joined the Halos in 2018. His time there was productive on an individual level. Ohtani broke records left and right and earned himself two AL MVP awards, three All-Star nods, two Silver Slugger awards, and more.
However, what he did not accomplish was to bring the Angels to the playoffs, a territory the club hasn't stepped on since 2014.
The Angels will continue their pursuit of the elusive playoff spot, but they will have to do it without their number-one player.
Can they do it?
The management decided to hire Ron Washington as a replacement for Phil Nevin, a move many see as the club's signal that it is tired of losing.
However, Washington and the front office's to-do list just got longer with the departure of Ohtani.
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Top 3 things the Halos need to accomplish to fill the void left by Ohtani:
1. Pursue Yoshinobu Yamamoto
You don't just sign a pitcher. You sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Yamamoto is available in the free agency, and many teams are already pursuing his signature. There's not much news or rumors about Angel's interest in the Japanese pitcher, but the club must have a sense of urgency now that Ohtani is no longer with them.
Halos should have expressed interest in Yamamoto early on because Ohtani won't be able to pitch in 2024.
Yamamoto is a long-term plan. He is just 25 years old and is having the best years of his young career after winning the Japanese Triple Crown from 2021 to 2023.
The Angels wanted to sign Ohtani for a price, but that did not happen. They still have the money to sign Yamamoto, who is also expected to get a large contract.
2. Find a new designated hitter
Ohtani lorded over the DH position, and that means big shoes to fill for Washington. The team wants to win now, so they can't afford to sign someone that still needs to be developed.
The team can try to sign Jorge Soler, a free agent. The Cuban outfielder has a career batting average of .242. He had a .250 BA with his last team, the Miami Marlins.
The two-time World Series champ is 32 years old, but he just had his best year last season, even getting selected to his first MLB All-Star Game.
J.D. Martinez is another option for the Angels with whom they were previously linked. The man is a vino and was selected to the All-Star Game in the past five seasons. Last season, he slashed .271/.321/.572 with a .893 OPS, 117 hits, 103 RBIs, and 33 home runs.
3. Improve the bullpen and farm system
The team needs big-time relievers to perform at their best each game. They recently signed Luis Garcia, Adam Cimber, and Adam Kolarek to one-year deals, but they need someone of higher caliber.
The Angels' farm system was among the worst in the league last season. It was not just last season but over the years. They nearly traded everyone on the farm, which means it is now depleted, and they need more talent to surround its remaining star, Mike Trout.
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