“Shohei Ohtani gone, Mike Trout injured” – Angels insiders link attendance drop to Zach Neto, Logan O’Hoppe being familiar only to diehard fans
Angels insiders link attendance drop to Zach Neto, Logan O’Hoppe less familiar than Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout (Source – IMAGN)
The Los Angeles Angels had a tough season in both performance and attendance. They were one of the worst teams in baseball and didn’t have a player on the field that a lot of fans could get behind rooting for.
Those who did attend, according to one Angels insider, deserve praise, but those who didn’t have an understandable excuse.
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Without Shohei Ohtani, who went to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Mike Trout, who was injured for the last several months of the season once again, there’s just not a player who fans can rally behind except those known better to fans.
Angels missed a golden chance to rebuild team
Shohei Ohtani being gone is one of the big reasons fans tuned out of the Los Angeles Angels this season. The Dodgers’ symbol on his chest and helmet helped, but it’s likely that everyone watched him do historic things in 2024 regardless of the team he was on.
Shohei Ohtani left the Angels (Imagn)
Nevertheless, they could not afford to bring him back, not at the Dodgers’ $700 million price. This is evidence that they should have considered trading him at the 2022 deadline.
According to SI, several teams offered massive hauls for Ohtani. The New York Yankees, San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers were reportedly asking.
The Padres were reportedly in the best spot, but they ended up pivoting to send a haul to the Washington Nationals for Juan Soto. It’s a haul that, at the very least, could have been in the Angels’ system now.