MLB analyst confirms that Shohei Ohtani will 'definitely' be leaving Anaheim if team has another mediocre season

2022 was not an easy season for Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Angels. In addition to missing the playoffs for the eighth straight season, the team also suffered a franchise-worst 13-game losing streak.

Indeed, the Los Angeles Angels are beginning to become the laughing stock of the baseball world, despite boasting two of the best players on earth.

Between Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout, the two superstars have won four MVP Awards and two Rookie of the Year Awards. Although both players are certain to be in the Hall of Fame one day, their team is no better off for it.

In a recent Bleacher Report piece, MLB analyst Jeff Passan shared his thoughts on Ohtani's short-term future with the team. According to Passan, if the Angels fall out of playoff contention, then Ohtani is as good as gone from the team.

"Shohei Ohtani could be traded and 'will definitely' leave the Angels if they fall out of playoff contention this season, per @JeffPassan" - B/R Walk-Off

Arte Moreno, the owner of the Los Angeles Angels, has come under significant fire for not being able to secure Shohei Ohtani for a long-term deal. Now, it looks like he could be gone even sooner than some originally thought.

Ahead of the 2023 season, Ohtani inked a one-year deal worth $30 million to avoid arbitration. While Trout will be locked down by the team until the early 2030s, the fact that Ohtani will depart the team at the end of the season seems like a foregone conclusion.

"Shohei Ohtani unsurprisingly tops our first Power Ranking of next winter's free agent class. A look at Ohtani and the next tiers of impending free agents" - MLB Trade Rumors

Despite opening up to a lead in the AL West last season, their horrific losing streak caused the Angels to lose critical, early ground to the Houston Astros. By the end of the year, the Angels had a record of 73-89, third in their division behind the Astros and Seattle Mariners.

Shohei Ohtani could shift the fortunes of the Angels and himself

While it is now clear that Ohtani has a negligible appetite for losing, a strong year out of the 28-year-old could change a lot of variables. If the Angels can make the postseason and win their first game therein since 2009, then it might be a very different story come the fall months.