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Here's a partial list of Los Angeles Angels throwers who have been undergoing Tommy John surgery for the past four years:
Rough. This is a lot of launcher talent lost to rebuilding the elbow. Unfortunately, it seems that Shohei Ohtani will soon join this list.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Angels announced an MRI revealing new damage to Ohtani's right elbow ligamentand Tommy John surgery has been recommended. It is important to note that the surgery is not yet fixed. The team may recommend surgery, but can not force Ohtani to undergo surgery, nor can your employer force you to undergo surgery. Ohtani will likely seek a second opinion, but generally speaking, once the surgery is recommended Tommy John, it is "when" and not "if".
Ohtani missed a month as a batter and nearly three months as a pitcher earlier this season with a Grade 2 elbow sprain. The Angels signed him knowing that he had a grade 1 sprain and received treatment. The sprain was spent in second grade in mid-season and now it's seemingly even worse, hence the Tommy John surgery recommendation.
In good health, Ohtani was a star:
- Hit: .276 / .355 / .547 (144 OPS +) with 16 doubles and 16 circuits in 274 appearances
- pitching: 3.31 ERA (128 ERA +) with 63 outs and 22 steps in 51 2/3 innings
On a rate basis, Ohtani hit as Nelson Cruz (143 OPS +) and pitched as Charlie Morton (127 ERA +). He and Babe Ruth are the only players in history to have scored more than 15 home runs and more than 50 innings in a single season in baseball history. The sample sizes are small, of course, but the production was excellent and the talent undeniable.
Ohtani's power in the center left is unreal. How many hitter can do that against Corey Kluber?
Assuming he undergoes surgery from Tommy John, Ohtani will miss the entire 2019 season as a pitcher, but it is unclear how the team will treat him as a hitter. Tommy John's surgical rehab schedule is usually 14 to 16 months for pitchers. There is no way around that. For the batters, the schedule is usually 6 to 8 months.
Would Ohtani be able to hit next season before being allowed to throw? This is a # 1 question right now.
Even if it can next season, the fact is that the Angels will only have one full season of Ohtani with Mike Trout, the best player in the game, before he joins the free agency. Ohtani made his debut at MLB this year due to injuries. He will not propose next year after the operation. So, the best scenario is a full season of Ohtani alongside the trout in 2020, which happens to be the year of the Trout contract. He is currently expected to become a free agent during the 2020-21 off season.
The Angels enter Wednesday's game with a record of 67-72 and no real shots in the playoffs. There are 19 games back in the West and 15 and a half games of second place wild cards. For the sixth time in seven full seasons in the league, the Angels will miss the playoffs and, in one year, they have been eliminated in three games in the ALDS. The best of one of the greatest players is to be wasted. It's a pity.
Now that Ohtani is about to be operated by Tommy John, it will be much harder for the Angels to compete next year, one of two precious seasons remaining on the Trout contract. A good example may be that when he is in good health, Ohtani is the best pitcher and the second best batter of the team. He will not propose next year. He might be able to hit! But if he does, how often will he be able to hit and will he be compromised? These are irrefutable questions right now.
It seems that whenever something bad happens with the angels, there are immediate calls to the trout trade. Swap it with a candidate for a sponsor package and start a rebuild. This occurs as a result of Ohtani surgery news Tommy John.
I understood. I do it totally. The Angels could negotiate the maximum value of the trout right now – the longer they wait, the less they will get match (see: Machado, Manny) – start a rebuild and go ahead with a healthy Ohtani in 2020 It's not Trout, but you could do a lot more harm than building around Ohtani. Get gobs of young talents for trout, then rebuild. A viable plan, no doubt.
Personally, I do not think angels should trade trout. It is much easier to rebuild an agricultural system than to have the best player of his generation on his list in the early part of his career. The chief executive of Angels, Billy Eppler, knows it too.
Trade in trout? No way. I say sign it to what amounts to a lifetime contract and build around it and Ohtani in the future. It was the original plan! Ohtani's elbow injury and Tommy John's seemingly inevitable surgery should not derail that.
I can not see the angels exchanging trout even after another season without season. Never say never, but yes, it seems very unlikely. The Astros are great and Athletics is very promising, and now the Angels will have a lot more trouble facing next season because they will not have Ohtani. He's a great player – not a good player, a great player – and maybe he'll have it at DH, but he will not get it on the mound.
It stinks. It stinks for the angels, it stinks for Ohtani, it stinks for trout and it stinks for baseball fans.
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