Arte Moreno Shocks Baseball World, Makes Correct Major Decision

Rather than trade Shohei Ohtani, the Angels' owner stuns the industry by adding the best starting pitcher on the market for the stretch run.

Lucas Giolito looks on during a game vs. the Los Angeles Angels on June 28, 2023, in Anaheim. Little did anyone know that less than a month later, he’d be on a flight from Chicago to Orange County to join the team for a last-ditch playoff push. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Let’s say you’re Arte Moreno. You’re worth $4.8 billion dollars. You’re 76 years old. Life has already blessed you beyond belief by awarding you more cash than the GDP of 40 countries.

You took some of that coin and bought a major league baseball team 20 years ago. And even though your team has won only two total playoff series in the two decades you’ve owned the team, you’re touched by, ahem, an angel, when the best baseball player who ever lived, Shohei Ohtani, miraculously picks your lowly franchise over the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Giants, Cardinals and Cubs when he leaves Japan to try to make it in America.

You spend the first six years of Ohtani’s time on your team squandering his greatness, and now he’s about to become a free agent in three short months. You know he wants to win a championship or five. And since your squad has not made the playoffs in 10 years, you know that means when this season is over, he’s gone.

The trading deadline is a week away and you’re sitting at just two games over .500, and four games out of the final playoff spot.

What do you do?