The Los Angeles Angels have officially waved the white flag on the 2023 MLB season, and that’s probably not great for superstar Shohei Ohtani’s future with the franchise.
On Tuesday, the team surprisingly placed pitchers Lucas Giolito, Matt Moore and Reynaldo López on waivers, as well as outfielders Hunter Renfroe and Randal Grichuk.
With +100000 odds on FanDuel to win the World Series and +10000 odds to make the playoffs right now, the Angels’ postseason chances are basically nonexistent right now.
However, this is still a massive series of moves for the Angels to make, all at once signaling that they’re definitely closing things down for the season and giving MLB playoff contenders an opportunity to add serious talent to the roster in a very unlikely time of year.
The move also signals that Los Angeles not trading Ohtani at the MLB trade deadline and instead pushing in all the chips on a possible playoff appearance might come back to haunt them if Ohtani indeed walks this offseason.
BREAKING: The Los Angeles Angels have placed starter Lucas Giolito, relievers Matt Moore and Reynaldo López, and outfielders Hunter Renfroe and Randal Grichuk on waivers, sources tell ESPN. Huge potential playoff implications: All can be claimed by teams for free on Thursday.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 29, 2023
It appears that the move is as much financially motivated as it is given the Angels’ poor record and longshot playoff chances.
Who gets the players will be determined by reverse order of record. The team with the worst record that puts in a claim on a player will receive him. And there are going to be plenty of claims put in from playoff-caliber teams that need a starter, bullpen help and bats.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 29, 2023
This is clearly not ideal for the Angels, who added Giolito, López and Grichuk ahead of the deadline only to cut them a month or so later.
They’re now the second-worst team in the AL West, only in front of the lowly Oakland A’s. If July’s trade deadline was a chance for Los Angeles to show Ohtani that it’s serious about contending, it failed spectacularly.
It didn’t help Los Angeles that Ohtani tore his UCL and lost his ability to pitch for the remainder of the season, and that’s out of the franchise’s control.
However, everything leading up to Ohtani’s unfortunate injury is clearly on Los Angeles. The franchise failed to build a contender while they had Ohtani in his prime, and it’s a very real possibility that the sensational talent will be playing elsewhere this time next year.
Tuesday’s decision to effectively shrug off the season might be understandable when you consider where Los Angeles is right now.
However, the Angels’ decision to avoid trading the generational talent for a king’s ransom looms even larger now that the team’s last-minute 2023 playoff push has evaporated into thin air.
Ohtani’s time in an Angels uniform feels more tenuous than it ever has.
MLB fans had some thoughts on this mass Angels waiving.
We’ve seen fire sales, but the Angels just gave us MLB’s first garage sale https://t.co/8AzvAevD5Y
— Aram Leighton (@AramLeighton8) August 29, 2023
If this is true, I would expect a grievance to be filed by the MLBPA since most of these transactions are NOT baseball performance related but an attempt to get below the Luxury tax. Or at the very least , the commissioner should look at the “best interests of baseball” clause. https://t.co/Mbee6puwRp
— Jim Duquette (@JimDuquetteGM) August 29, 2023
every time I see an Angels highlight it's like "Arte Moreno just salary dumped five of his best players after trading their best prospects to get them a month ago, something even Tungsten Arm O’Doyle never did, as the Angels sit six games below .500” https://t.co/mc8ySZs0s1
— Grant Bronsdon (@gbronsdon) August 29, 2023
Angels franchise pic.twitter.com/tY98b1uGRW
— Philly Sports Sufferer (@mccrystal_alex) August 29, 2023
Biggest trade deadline fail ever https://t.co/kTK9Q5GWGG
— Trevor Knapp (@KnappBets) August 29, 2023
Every day literally gets worse and worse and it never ends https://t.co/vPjlWXNOr5
— Max (@Maxairjordan1) August 29, 2023
im gunna report that shohei is not re-signing with LAA https://t.co/mgUnff1wIv
— Talkin’ Jake (@TalkinJake) August 29, 2023
If this were fantasy baseball, the commissioner would have to investigate any potential under-the-table agreements to split prize money.
(Also: what a disaster the Angels' season has been) https://t.co/jTvFxfvxNb
— Gary Phillips (@GaryHPhillips) August 29, 2023
At least they didn't give up four prospects including Edgar Quero for nothing. Oh wait.
The Angels are so poorly run, it's mind-boggling. https://t.co/3uoI2WGi5d
— Eric Cross (@EricCross04) August 29, 2023
Rage quitting in a fantasy league https://t.co/WoXw217noH
— Adam Rank (@adamrank) August 29, 2023
Someone should tell the Angels that today is the NFL's cutdown day, not MLB's. https://t.co/tcAyK1IerV
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 29, 2023
This is what an online rage quit looks like in real life. https://t.co/WGo52Dxv8m
— Dallas Braden (@DALLASBRADEN209) August 29, 2023
The Angels are running their franchise like an angry fantasy football owner
*also the Giants currently have priority over most the other Wild Card teams if they're interested in any of these guys https://t.co/XgH802yCZX
— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) August 29, 2023
Love how the Angels created a 2nd deadline!! Thanks, Halos. https://t.co/klD1wNeUm7
— Chris Rose (@ChrisRose) August 29, 2023
The month started with the Angels going all in — looking for their first playoff season in 9 years.
The month ends with a concrete acknowledgement that their attempt failed without even contending. https://t.co/TvH3wuAlYW
— Sam Blum (@SamBlum3) August 29, 2023
this is the weirdest thing that has ever happened https://t.co/haq73LlPy7
— Tipping Pitches (@tipping_pitches) August 29, 2023
