The MLB world reacts to Shohei Ohtani's  update

The question of whether the Los Angeles Angels will trade superstar two-way hitter Shohei Ohtani has been floated around a lot in recent months.

The team has made it clear that there is no indication that the 2021 AL MVP will be dealt, even though rumors swirled around the trade deadline this year.

[{"selector":"#anim-c680ccde-1412-40c2-9fc9-c513042481ef","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-21b9eb31-06c2-43ff-98cd-ad3d293e0dfb","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.28663%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

While the club signed Ohtani to a lucrative one-year deal as the season wound down. That did nothing to dispel any rumors,

[{"selector":"#anim-9d22a1b1-ba8f-44fe-a0d6-0552b61ad4ed","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9148c23c-4dd8-46ef-aa64-a4b26bd683ba","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.92356%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Now the team has spoken. Angels general manager Perry Minasian informed the media that Ohtani will not be dealt with anytime soon.

[{"selector":"#anim-d59dbf4b-866b-4404-936c-e8287494470d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-532eb3b6-be28-4dd9-973d-61c58e326db0","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.28663%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Shohei Ohtani will NOT be traded this offseason, according to Angels GM Perry Minasian. From the team's perspective, keeping Ohtani makes sense for now,

[{"selector":"#anim-d3495a17-b7eb-4692-a783-5da4e97804e0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d7d024b9-5208-4d19-b382-50fe3b68ab9b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.28663%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

but up to a point. He's obviously a big draw in the MLB world and people want to pay to come to see him. Of course,

[{"selector":"#anim-697ae3a8-494d-45ef-a4d9-aaf1b70eb3b9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4cce1c34-f853-4a0c-bc76-918684bce80b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.92356%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

the general thinking is that the team could get a huge upside for him, and if his underperformance doesn't go unnoticed, it could help him.

[{"selector":"#anim-27d834d0-eecb-4cf4-b7e9-5c78c2ad1780","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-de1fd180-ddfd-43a3-a8b4-db54cf66061e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.28663%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Reactions from around Major League Baseball soon followed. They were met with heavy skepticism:

[{"selector":"#anim-3c84d290-dc4d-4442-b702-6b302a3b2184","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-90513c5f-e9a0-404d-8f5e-e9f896d75c43","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.60510%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]